In the weekend wrap this morning I had a joke in there about Clint Hurdle taking the Pirates’ job on the basis of “hey, how could I do any worse than the last guy?” I deleted that, though, because the real reason he took the Pirates job -- aside from wanting to continue his managerial career and maybe help them win -- is not at all snark-worthy. From John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times:
Baseball players and coaches spend years, if not decades, trying to balance their professional and family lives while working an in industry that, by necessity, makes them into itinerants. That Hurdle will be able to fulfill both his professional and familial interests by taking the Pirates’ job will make me root for the Pirates a hell of a lot more than did before I knew this.
One of the primary reasons why Hurdle would prefer to take the Pirates’ job instead of waiting to see if the Mets make him an offer is that his 8-year-old daughter Madison was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome. The disease, which affects about one in every 12,000 people, is a chromosomal disorder that typically causes low muscle tone, short stature if not treated with growth hormone and an insatiable appetite that can lead to life-threatening obesity
The Children’s Institute, located Squirrel Hill, is one of the nation’s foremost providers of care for those affected with Prader-Willi. Hurdle serves as the national spokesman for the Prader-Willi Foundation.
Baseball players and coaches spend years, if not decades, trying to balance their professional and family lives while working an in industry that, by necessity, makes them into itinerants. That Hurdle will be able to fulfill both his professional and familial interests by taking the Pirates’ job will make me root for the Pirates a hell of a lot more than did before I knew this.
