BRADENTON, Fla. — This winter, the Pirates have been called tankers. And they’ve been called plenty worse by many fans. When preseason projections are made, the Pirates typically aren’t included among the contenders.
Somebody forgot to tell Clint Hurdle.
“I’ve seen some wonderful things happen in this game,” Hurdle said. “More often than not, nobody writes the script.”
After the first pitchers and catchers workout at Pirate City, Hurdle comfortably fielded questions about the Pirates’ 2018 chances, echoing what the front office has said since the team traded McCutchen and Gerrit Cole: Don’t count this team out.