Pirates' Clint Hurdle reaches managerial milestone

Clint Hurdle reached a career plateau Wednesday night occupied by only 32 other managers in baseball history.

He managed his 2,500th game.

Hurdle, who will turn 62 on July 30, is third among active managers with 1,224 victories, trailing the San Francisco Giants’ Bruce Bochy (1,947) and the Cleveland Indians’ Terry Francona, a New Brighton native, (1,599). Hurdle also lost 1,274 games.

With a victory Wednesday night against the Colorado Rockies, he would tie Harry Wright, who managed in the late 1800s, for 41st place in all-time victories. Hurdle began his big-league managerial career in 2002 with the Rockies, taking them to the World Series in 2007, when they were swept by the Boston Red Sox. He was fired 46 games into the 2009 season.

“I’m humbled, always, with the opportunity to manage at the major league level,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “Always, every day. I don’t take a day for granted. I don’t take a day off.

“That’s a lot of games. It’s been a lot of opportunities. Some people have believed in me and given me that opportunity. Fortunate.”

Hurdle’s first managerial job was with the New York Mets’ Single-A farm team in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in 1988, holding out for the job when the team first offered a rookie league assignment.

“I got to the point in my career where my playing opportunities were going to be limited,” said Hurdle, who played parts of 10 seasons. “I was a realist. And I felt like, ‘Could I hang on? Could I fight?’ I had made the club a couple of spring trainings, the 25th guy.”

At that point, Hurdle thought it might be time to manage.

“All my life experiences, professionally and personally, (I thought) I might be able to help some people at the minor league level.”

He said he never retired as a player.

“Good players retire,” he said. “I would just stop playing.”

“The last piece of the puzzle for me (before he thought he was ready to manage) was catching at the major league level,” he said, noting he already had played all four corner positions in the infield and outfield.

“It kind of opened things up for me, reading swings, developing relationships with pitchers, bullpen usage, things you don’t pay a lot of attention to as a position player.”

Hurdle tries to stand up for his players, even when he knows he can’t win an argument with an umpire. He was ejected for the 59th time in his career Tuesday when Jake Elmore was called out on a controversial tag play.

Injury update

• Relief pitcher Keone Kela (shoulder inflammation) threw 21 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday and is eligible to come off the injured list. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk indicated no decision had been reached.

• Nick Burdi, who has nerve damage in the bicep/elbow area, is going through rehab in Bradenton, Fla. “He’s feeling better, but his symptoms have not completely resolved, which is a normal result (for a nerve injury),” Tomczyk said.

• Corey Dickerson (shoulder) has been throwing to bases from the outfield for the past two days. Management soon might discuss a rehab assignment in the minors.

• Trevor Williams (side strain) is not throwing, but he is responding well to shoulder activity. He is on the 10-day injured list, but there is no timetable for his return.

• Jung Ho Kang (side strain) has no restrictions while hitting in the cage and throwing.

• Lonnie Chisenhall (left calf tightness) is away from team at Triple-A Indianapolis while dealing with a personal matter, Tomczyk said.

• Francisco Cervelli, who suffered a chest contusion Tuesday, did not start Wednesday, but he might be available, if necessary.