PIrates managerial situation

Back to business a bit with a few thoughts on the Pirates managerial search and a little more on the sacrificial lamb being sent to slaughter in John Russell.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentions four of the candidates that may have a leg up in Neal Huntington's search here.
Of those four,I don't think John Farrell has any interest as other teams (including the Pirates) have been down this road with him before,Joel Skinner might be a good fit overall except that the Pirates reportedly want a skipper with experience and Skinner has very little major league experience with the exception of his interim stint in Cleveland.
I always liked Mike Hargrove,who reportedly wants back in the game and with Grover living in suburban Cleveland,there is no team closer to his home than Pittsburgh other than the Indians (of course),so he might have interest despite the state of the current Buccos.
Hargrove also has experience with a team building around youth with his years building the Indians to a title contender and would be a good choice.
Former Indian manager Eric Wedge is mentioned as the possible top choice,but I believe he would be a horrible selection.
I was utterly unimpressed with his term in Cleveland and Wedge seems to have an higher opinion of himself than I do.
Reportedly Wedge is a top candidate with the Cubs and just about any manager that wants to succeed right away will favor just about anyone over the Pirates.

I would like to add three candidates to the list in AAA managers Torey Lovullo and Mike Sarbaugh and veteran boss Bobby Valentine.
Lovullo has experience working with Neal Huntington and now has varied his experiences having spent time in the Red Sox organization as well.
Sarbaugh is a manager that I have seen at various stops in the Indians system and few managers have impressed me more.
Sarbaugh would be at the top of my list,if the Pirates wanted to go with another manager new to the big leagues
Valentine might not be a Pirate type guy,but his personality will go over huge after years of Jim Tracy and Russell and he teaches as well as wins.
Valentine,Sarbaugh and Hargrove are my top choices,but knowing the Pirates I'll go with none of the group being the selection.

Late word has the Pirates interviewing Eric Wedge earlier today.
Figures- worst possible choice.

As far as John Russell goes,I cannot say that the firing disappoints me at all.
From the dull persona to the odd decision making both in selecting the regulars to his less than stellar game management with the ridiculous defensive shifts,pitcher hitting 8th etc,Russell was a pretty bad manager.
However,even considering those issues,John Russell was not the reason that the Pirates lost over 100 games or even a main reason.
Sure,a game or two here and there over the last three years might have been won with another skipper at the helm,but on the overall,Russell being around didn't make much of a difference in the won/loss column.

Where I did have issues with Russell was decision making.
Take just this season,having no interest in playing Neil Walker at all until Walker forced the issue,the bizarre infatuation with Ryan Church at the expense of younger outfielders,most notably Lastings Milledge,sticking with Andy LaRoche far too long after he had proved that he wasn't going to do the job etc....

John Russell didn't get the greatest hand dealt to him,but he didn't do very much to improve it either.
The next manager might not fare any better and if that man goes,I think that it is very likely that GM Neal Huntington goes with him.

I hope to have time for at least one football recap,but bear with me if it doesn't go up.....

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