PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates say they extended the contracts of manager John Russell and general manager Neal Huntington through the 2011 season without making a public announcement.
The Pirates were coming off a 99-loss season in 2009 and, amid slumping ticket sales, apparently felt that announcing the extensions over the winter might further lessen enthusiasm for this season.
Pirates president Frank Coonelly acknowledged the extensions in a statement issued Thursday, one day after FoxSports.com reported Russell was on the verge on being fired.
Huntington and Russell are in their third seasons, and the team has yet to produce a 70-win season under either. Currently stuck in a 10-game losing streak, the Pirates are 19 games under .500.
