[vincesanity82]

The Pirates lost 94 games last year. Believe it or not, that was a slight improvement over the 95 they lost the past two years. This year, they actually went out and did something about it; they fired GM Dave Littlefield, most of his front office staff, and manager Jim Tracy. Then, faced with a choice to make about their next manager, they picked ex-third base coach John Russell, a man who lead a AAA team to a 55-88 record last year.

Honestly, I don't even think Russell's a bad choice for the job, given the other finalists, but it's pretty clear that most other Pirate fans don't agree with me (check out this chat that Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette had with fans after the announcement of the hiring today). Say what you will about the hire, but at least it's clear that the Pirates aren't doing things just for PR purposes anymore.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Could Care Less What You Think - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

[Lefty Noob]

Well, if the guy really is the best guy for the job, they should hire him regardless of what the fans thing. If he turns the Bucs into winners, the fans will be back soon enough. But on the surface, looking at his track record and everything, it's hard to believe that we couldn't have done better.