NOW IS THE TIME!

Late last week the Pirates announced they extended the contracts of GM Neal Huntington and manager John Russell through 2011. I think, without a doubt, that Huntington's contract should be extended through next year. John Russell being extended is very frustrating to me. The Pirates have had a lot of turnover under Huntington, but one thing has remained the same under Russell's team: the little things aren't being done.

With all of the call ups and the news that Fredi Gonzalez was fired by the Florida Marlins, the Pirates should be aggressive and let go of Russell. His teams have consistently had fielding blunders, baserunning gaffes, and questionable line ups. The Pirates would be better served to wipe the slate clean and teach these young guys the right way to play baseball.

Honestly, what are you going to lose by firing the manager now when you've called up new guys and have no hope of winning? This isn't football where Andrew McCutchen has had a new offensive coordinator every level. These young Pirates need to learn how to win and they need a manager who can help them win. Ryan Doumit playing first base instead of DHing isn't going to help any team win!

There aren't many managerial candidates that come off the top of the head that would be a sure fire fit in Pittsburgh and Gonzalez is likely to take over in Atlanta when Bobby Cox retires this year, but something needs to be done. I don't know how much longer I can take stories like this, this, and this.

The Pirates need to hold their manager accountable and look in another direction. Here are a few guys that could work:

Eric Wedge - 7 Seasons
Career Record: 561-573

The 2007 Manager of the Year should be familiar to Huntington as he was the manager of the Cleveland Indians when Huntington was an employee there. Wedge is familiar working with young players as he had 25 different rookies in his first year as the manager of the Indians. He improved the Indians by 12 and 13 games from his first year to his third. His fourth year, the Indians pitching staff was terrible and finished 78-84, but he won the division the next year at 96-66. Wedge's next two years were disappointing and some of his best players, like C.C. Sabathia were traded away. Wedge was let go on September 30 2009.

Wedge was respected by his players in Cleveland as Grady Seizmore said on the day of his firing, "Eric had all the qualities you want. You don't want to lose a man like Eric. He's respected by his peers, his players, everybody in the game".

Wedge has a second interview with the Baltimore Orioles, so this could be a moot point in a few weeks. Wedge's experience with young players and respect from his players would be a welcome addition to the Pirates.

Ken Macha - 6 Seasons
Career Record: 478-402

Macha is currently the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, but he has been rumored to be on the hot seat for a while as they currently have a 30-40 record. Some say the problems in Milwaukee seem to be pitching, and not Macha's doing. That being said, it seems like a lot of Milwaukee fans are calling for his head and I wonder if he will be let go if things stay sour.

Ken Macha coached a young Oakland team and never finished below .500 in any of his 4 season there, begining in 2003. Macha was fired in 2006 after losing in the ALCS to the Detroit Tigers. Macha was hired by the Brewers after the 2008 season and coached the Brewers to a 80-82 record last year, his first sub .500 record.

Macha is from Monroeville, went to Pitt, played for the Pirates ('74-'78), and in 2005 was even rumored to have been in talks to become the Pirates new manager. Obviously Macha has strong ties to the city and understands the organization's past. Pittsburghers love their own, so Macha could be a PR boost for an organization that has had some poor PR lately. Of course, this all contingent on if the Brewers stick with him for another year or not.

Chip Hale - 6 Minor League Seasons
Career Minor League Record: 392-305

Chip Hale is currently the Third Base coach of the New York Mets and former 2006 Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year. Before joining the Mets Hale was on Bob Melvin's staff in Arizona. Hale has been described as "thoughtful" and a "baseball guy". Jerry Manuel said about Hale, "Chip learned from Tom Kelly in Minnesota, where everything is about fundamentals, fundamentals and fundamentals". The Pirates are in dire need of the fundamentals. He's viewed as a guy who could eventually end up managing a club down the road. If the Pirates choose not to pay for a name manager, Hale could be an up and coming name they could choose to go with.