I was one of the biggest approvers of Neal Huntington during his run as the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I feel that approval was warranted, as Huntington took the Pirates from perennial losers to one of the best teams in MLB’s regular season over a short, multi-year stretch.
Prior to Huntington, the Pirates were a joke. There was no hope for the playoffs, and little hope for a winning season. The irony is that by the end of Huntington’s tenure, a winning season alone wasn’t enough, and the expectations placed on new General Manager Ben Cherington are for a return to the playoffs, and a longer stay this time around.