How does David Littlefield still have a job?

Question

I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, been there my whole life. I cannot watch this kind of wreched baseball anymore. For the past 14 (soon to be 15) seasons, I have sat in utter amazement as to why this team cannot win. Here's a stat for everyone: during the past 15 years, every other team in Major League Baseball has posted a .500 record or better except for the Pirates and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Even the Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos) have had winning seasons! I'm beyond comprehension as to how a GM who's been on the job for the past 6 and a half seasons cannot draft a decent player, sign a decent free agent, or put together a decent team. This is completely insane! There are better guys (and in the case of Kim Ng in Los Angeles, women) that can get the job done in the front office! In fact, Littlefield makes his predecessor, Cam Bonifay, look like Branch Rickey!

Answer 1

Don't know what to tell you other than the owners are not committed to winning there.

Answer 2

Good question. Littlefield and Bonifay are/were bad general managers. Too bad they didn't snatch up Allan Baird (KC Royals GM/protege of Braves GM John Schierholtz) when they had the chance. There is supposed to be a walk-out of fans during today's game in Pittsburgh who are sick of the losing. Some of it isn't Littlefield/Bonifay's fault, like how most of their 1st rd amateur draft picks (pitchers) required major arm surgery, but the end result falls on the GM and owner's shoulders. Whoever is the in charge of player development is a moron, too. John Van Benschoten was the best hitter in the draft and they made him a pitcher and needed arm surgery. Too bad MLB won't let Mark Cuban buy the Pirates. At least he would spend some money building a winner.

Answer 3

If the Pirates owners were committed to winning, Littlefield would have been out of a job a long time ago. The owners DO NOT care what kind of record the team has as long as they are getting that revenue sharing money and decent attendance to line their pockets with. Until MLB mandates that the Pirates owners spend money to field a competitive team (and withhold the revenue sharing money until they do), they will be content to fielding a mediocre team with Littlefield as their puppet.

Answer 4

I feel for you. Pittsburgh is a great baseball town, great ballpark. You figured that they would have a great minor league system since they pick so high in the draft each year.

Where are Bobby Bradley and Bryan Bullington? Have these guys reached the Big League's yet? Then you see teams like Tampa and Arizona for example playing their prospects.
It starts with the GM who has to go.

Answer 5

I thought the Brewers were in on that run of futility, but no -- they just squeaked to a .500 record (81-81) in 2005. Still not a WINNING record, but the Brew Crew does have one breakeven mixed in the last decade and a half.