Kuzul

Most teams would not extend their manager’s contract after a 79–83 record and a historic collapse. However, most teams are not the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After two decades of perpetual mediocrity, the Pirates have decided to extend Clint Hurdles’ contract for making them less bad.

Clint Hurdle pretty much has it all going for him. The owner loves him, and the fans seem to have a favorable opinion of him.

No, he hasn’t led the pirates to the playoffs, yet. But, he has done something that many before could not— made them respectable.

The fact that the Pirates were even in the position to possibly make the playoffs is a reason to celebrate within itself in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are no longer a laughing stock, and opponents are now forced to respect them when they see them on their schedule. 

The Pirates are a team that’s building toward a playoff berth. That’s much more than they can say for the last 20 years.

This past season, they finished with their best record since 1997. Although that’s not saying much, it is undoubtedly an improvement. It’s the Pirates we’re talking about, not the Yankees. The expectations aren’t exactly high for this franchise on the yearly basis.

Furthermore, this is a franchise that lost 105 games in the season before Hurdle’s arrival. And prior to that, they earned five consecutive 90-loss seasons.

The Pirates are a franchise whose futility is unrivaled by almost any other. There are more empty seats in that arena than there would be for a Backstreet Boys reunion concert.

Clint Hurdle’s personality is almost enough to warrant keeping him around. He has a vibrant disposition that energizes the fans and draws their attention. He has brought new life into a clubhouse that has severely needed it. He’s given the fans, the players reason to believe that next year can possibly be better than the past one.

Pittsburgh will finally be buzzing with energy come spring for the first time in a while. Spring and summer are no longer the dreaded and stale waiting period until the Steelers strap on their cleats. The Pirates will finally get some love.

Clint Hurdle has given an entire city a taste of success and hope. He’s re-energized an entire fan base that has been dormant since the “We Are Family” Pirates of the ‘70s. For those reasons alone, he more than deserves his extension.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Opening Day is getting closer, and teams are in a flurry trying to make last-minute moves to position themselves for contention come spring. 

The Cleveland Indians are undoubtedly one of the busiest teams, signing a slew of big names, most recently Michael Bourn. 

However, as we learn almost every year through free agency, all that glitters is not gold. 

As a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, Bourn‘s credentials are impressive. However, when you look at his production in detail, he leaves much to be desired.

He struck out 295 times in the past two years. That’s way too much, and it can possibly become a liability for the Indians if he cannot produce on a consistent basis.   

Even more alarming, his batting average dropped from a very good .311 in the first half of last season to .225 after the All-Star Game.

What excites most people about Bourn, though, is his defensive ability. Bourn is considered to be one of the premier defensive outfielders in all of baseball, and many expect this acquisition to give the Indians the best outfield in the MLB.

However, fielding wasn’t Cleveland’s main problem. Last season, the Indians ranked ninth overall in fielding percentage. They weren’t the best, but the defense obviously wasn’t the reason for their 67-92 record last year.

Cleveland’s offense needs an upgrade, and Bourn’s inconsistency will do very little to help that.

They ranked a mediocre 18th in batting average and 25th in home runs. The offense was the team’s Achilles’ heel, and Bourn does more to highlight that than relieve it.

All last year, the fans in Cleveland were begging for a potent right-handed hitter who could light it up. This flaw was exposed in a division with the home run-happy Chicago White Sox and the very good Detroit Tigers. 

Bourn’s inability to find a consistent offensive stride will hurt the team, especially in the second half of the season, where he’s been shown to regress.

This year, the AL Central looks to be competitive, and the Indians will need to keep the offense pumping into August and September, when they will probably have to find a way to fight off both the Tigers and the White Sox.

Bourn does not help their offensive problem; he only makes it worse.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com