Clint Hurdle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clint Hurdle
Hurdle in 2012
Colorado Rockies – No. 55
Outfielder / Manager / Coach
Born: (1957-07-30) July 30, 1957 (age 68) Big Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
September 18, 1977, for the Kansas City Royals
Last appearance
June 26, 1987, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average	.259
Home runs	32
Runs batted in	193
Managerial record	1,269–1,345–1
Winning %	.485
Teams
As player Kansas City Royals (1977–1981) Cincinnati Reds (1982) New York Mets (1983, 1985) St. Louis Cardinals (1986) New York Mets (1987) As manager Colorado Rockies (2002–2009) Pittsburgh Pirates (2011–2019) As coach Colorado Rockies (1997–2002) Texas Rangers (2010) Colorado Rockies (2025–present)
Career highlights and awards
NL Manager of the Year (2013)

Clint Hurdle (born July 30, 1957) is an American baseball coach and former player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Clint also managed two MLB teams, the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He is currently a coach for the Colorado Rockies. When he was 20, Sports Illustrated magazine called him a "phenom," meaning he was a very talented young player. Clint Hurdle played in 515 major league games. After his playing career, he became a manager. He led the 2007 Rockies team to their first National League (NL) pennant. In 2010, the Pirates hired him as their manager. In 2013, he led the Pirates to their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1992. He was named the NL Manager of the Year that season.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Clint Hurdle was named after his father, Clinton. His father played college baseball for Ferris State University. When Clint was four, his family moved from Michigan to Florida. This move happened because his father got a job at the Kennedy Space Center.

As a child, Clint was a bat boy for the Cocoa Astros. This team was part of the Florida State League. Clint graduated from Merritt Island High School in Merritt Island, Florida. He received scholarships to play college baseball and college football as a quarterback at the University of Miami. He was also accepted to Harvard University. However, he chose to play professional baseball instead of going to college.

Clint Hurdle's Playing Career

With the Cardinals in 1986

The Kansas City Royals picked Clint Hurdle in the first round of the 1975 Major League Baseball draft. He was the ninth player chosen overall. He signed with the Royals and received a $50,000 bonus. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 1977. In 1978, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline called him "This Year's Phenom."

Clint played for the Royals until 1981. He did not reach the high expectations set by his draft position. His best year was 1980, when he started 109 games in right field. That year, the Royals won the American League pennant. He also played in four games during the 1980 World Series.

In December 1981, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. After playing for the Reds in 1982, he was put on waivers. In 1983, he joined the New York Mets. He spent most of that season with their Triple-A team, the Tidewater Tides. In 1983, Hurdle set a record for the Tides with 105 runs batted in. He also played in 13 games for the Mets.

He played for the Tidewater Tides again in 1984. In 1985, he played 43 games for the Mets. In 1986, he played 78 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Clint ended his playing career in 1987 at age 29. He played 97 games for the Tidewater Tides and 3 games for the Mets. During his career, he played right field, first base, third base, catcher, and designated hitter.

Clint also played in the winter league for Tiburones de La Guaira in Venezuela. In his first season (1977–78), he led the league in home runs with 18. He also batted .305 with 52 RBIs. He played again in 1979-80 and 1983-84. He led the Venezuelan league in walks in all three seasons he played there.

Managerial Career Highlights

Starting as a Manager

With the Rockies in 2007

After his playing career ended in 1987, Clint Hurdle became a manager. In 1988, he managed the St. Lucie Mets in the Florida State League. He also managed the Jackson Mets (1990), Williamsport Bills (1991), and the Tidewater/Norfolk Tides (1992–1993).

Leading the Colorado Rockies

In 1994, Clint joined the Colorado Rockies team as a minor league hitting instructor. He became the Rockies' hitting coach in 1997. In 2002, he was promoted to manager after Buddy Bell was fired. On April 2, 2006, he received a two-year contract extension.

In 2007, Clint led the Rockies to a 90-73 record. This was their best finish in the team's 15-year history. They won 13 of their last 14 games to force a tie-breaker game. They played against the San Diego Padres for the National League Wild Card spot. Colorado beat San Diego and reached the playoffs for only the second time.

Clint's Rockies then beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series. They swept them in three games. This led to a match-up with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. The Rockies continued their amazing winning streak by sweeping Arizona in four games. They won the first pennant in team history and reached the 2007 World Series.

In the World Series, Colorado played the Boston Red Sox. However, their winning streak ended, and the Rockies were swept in four games. Injuries to several players caused the Rockies to struggle in 2008. After a poor start in 2009, Clint was fired on May 29. He was offered another role with the Rockies, but he chose to join the MLB Network. He worked there as a studio analyst for the rest of 2009. His record with the Rockies was 534 wins and 625 losses.

Coaching the Texas Rangers

On November 4, 2009, Clint was hired as the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers. In 2010, he helped the Rangers win their first American League pennant. They later lost to the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series.

Managing the Pittsburgh Pirates

Clint Hurdle was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 14, 2010. At the 2011 All-Star break, he had led the Pirates to a 47–43 record. They were only one game out of first place in the NL Central. This was the first time the Pirates had a winning record at the All-Star break since 1992.

At the 2012 All-Star break, the Pirates had a 48–37 record. They were leading the NL Central division by one game. However, both seasons ended with the Pirates losing many games. This meant they had their 19th and 20th straight losing seasons.

During the 2013 season, the Pirates led the National League Central. They had one of the best records in Major League Baseball. On September 9, 2013, the Pirates won their 82nd game. On September 23, 2013, the Pirates won their 90th game. This secured their first playoff spot since 1992. Under Clint, the Pirates finished the 2013 season with 94 wins and 68 losses.

In the playoffs, the Pirates won the 2013 National League Wild Card Game. However, they lost the deciding game five against the Cardinals in the 2013 National League Division Series. Clint Hurdle won the National League Sporting News Manager of the Year Award in 2013.

In 2014, the Pirates made the playoffs again. They had 88 wins and 74 losses. They lost the 2014 National League Wild Card Game to the San Francisco Giants.

In 2015, the Pirates made the postseason again. They had a great record of 98–64. This was the second-best record of any team that season. The Pirates lost the 2015 National League Wild Card Game to the Chicago Cubs.

In 2016, the Pirates missed the postseason. Clint reached his 1,000th win as a manager on June 24. In 2017 and 2018, the Pirates also missed the postseason. However, in 2018, they finished with a winning record of 82–79.

On September 28, 2019, Clint was fired as manager. This happened after the team struggled in the second half of the season. He retired from baseball on November 12, 2019.

Return to the Colorado Rockies

On December 9, 2021, Clint Hurdle came out of retirement. He joined the Colorado Rockies as a special assistant to the general manager. On April 17, 2025, he was named hitting coach for the rest of the season. On May 11, 2025, Clint was also named interim bench coach. He kept his hitting coach duties at the same time.

Managerial Record Overview

Clint Hurdle's Family Life

Clint Hurdle has been married three times. He has a daughter named Ashley (born 1985) from an earlier marriage. With his third wife, Karla (married 1999), he has two children. Their daughter, Madison, was born in 2002 with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Their son, Christian, was born in 2004. Clint is a strong supporter of programs that help people with challenges. He also supports the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins