New GM Will Try To Build Pirates The Indians' Way

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Separated by only a two-hour turnpike drive, the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates have been worlds apart in talent and success since the mid-1990s. <br/><br/>Neal Huntington,

Tuesday, September 25th 2007, 8:27 pm

By: News On 6

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Separated by only a two-hour turnpike drive, the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates have been worlds apart in talent and success since the mid-1990s.

Neal Huntington, the new Pirates general manager, wants to bridge that gap quickly.

A former Indians assistant general manager who was moved into a mostly scouting role two years ago, Huntington was hired Tuesday as the 12th general manager in the Pirates' history and their sixth since they last won the World Series in 1979.

The 37-year-old Huntington replaces Dave Littlefield, who was fired this month after failing to produce a winning season since he was hired in July 2001. The Pirates are finishing up a 15th consecutive losing season, one short of the major league record, and their fifth with 90 or more losses since 2000.

Frank Coonelly, the equally new Pirates president, wants Huntington to replicate in Pittsburgh what regularly takes place in Cleveland: fielding a team that wins by constantly replenishing itself with young talent.

``He's passionate about baseball, and winning,'' Coonelly said. ``Neal comes from an extraordinarily successful organization where they not only develop players but fine executives, many of whom are now general managers.''

Huntington formerly was the assistant general manager to the Indians' Mark Shapiro, but dropped behind vice president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and assistant general manager John Mirabelli on the front office depth chart two years ago.

Huntington accepted a different role in 2005, Shapiro said, because Antonetti's skills were in the management and administrative side, while Huntington's were in evaluation and scouting.

``My skill set and passion were more that of an evaluator, but they never technically took me out of the front office,'' Huntington said. ``I was exposed to some incredible things _ rebuilding an organization and being involved in every decision, every tough decision, that was made.''

Huntington met the players at mid-afternoon, and shortstop Jack Wilson said he believes the new GM will be available and approachable _ a change, Wilson said, from the past.

``I'm very encouraged by what he had to say. He said he was here to bring a championship to Pittsburgh and he was very energetic about it,'' Wilson said. ``What highlighted it for me is he's very eager to have communication with the players. He seems like a guy who's going to be around the clubhouse a lot.''

Huntington, an Amherst graduate with a master's degree in sports management from Massachusetts, broke into baseball in 1992 with Montreal. He joined the Indians in 1998 as assistant director of minor league operations and became player development director the next season. He was later promoted to assistant general manager, but his most recent title was special assistant to the general manager. He also worked extensively on the club's new spring training complex in Arizona.

``For us to be successful in Pittsburgh, it must be similar to the way it was in Cleveland,'' Huntington said. ``There needs to be a continual infusion of talent. How do we get that talent? We sign it, we develop it and we bring it through the model here in Pittsburgh.''

The Pirates have had one of the majors' bottom five payrolls for years, but Huntington said, ``I wouldn't have taken the job if I knew there would be a hindrance of resources.''

The Pirates are expected to immediately expand their scouting staff, not only in the United States but also in Latin America, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.

Huntington's first major job is expected to be finding a successor to manager Jim Tracy, who is wrapping up a third consecutive 90-loss season in the majors. A new GM usually wants to hire his own manager.

``Right now, I'm trying to get my arms around (the job) and get over my initial excitement of taking this opportunity,'' Huntington said. ``The (managerial) evaluation process is going to be fair, the evaluation process is going to be thorough. We won't rush the decision.''