Saddened but not sulky, Jordy Mercer deals with his demotion from the everyday shortstop role – The Athletic
Saddened but not sulky, Jordy Mercer deals with his demotion from the everyday shortstop role
By Rob Biertempfel Sep 10, 2018 6
ST. LOUIS — Jordy Mercer opened the door to the manager’s office and saw Clint Hurdle as well as general manager Neal Huntington waiting for him. Right away, Mercer knew it was not going to be a particularly pleasant conversation.
“I was pretty heated, as anybody would be,” Mercer admitted.
A couple of days earlier, Mercer had been activated off the disabled list after missing two weeks with a calf injury. The Pirates could have cleared a roster spot by sending rookie Kevin Newman back to Triple-A Indianapolis for a few days. Instead, they cut veteran Sean Rodriguez.
The significance wasn’t difficult to decipher. Before a game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park, Mercer was called into Hurdle’s office. Out in the clubhouse, Newman greeted a handful of players who’d arrived from Indy as September call-ups.
Hurdle’s message was the same one he delivered to second baseman Josh Harrison: the new guys are going to play. Mercer,...
Saddened but not sulky, Jordy Mercer deals with his demotion from the everyday shortstop role – The Athletic
Saddened but not sulky, Jordy Mercer deals with his demotion from the everyday shortstop role
By Rob Biertempfel Sep 10, 2018 6
ST. LOUIS — Jordy Mercer opened the door to the manager’s office and saw Clint Hurdle as well as general manager Neal Huntington waiting for him. Right away, Mercer knew it was not going to be a particularly pleasant conversation.
“I was pretty heated, as anybody would be,” Mercer admitted.
A couple of days earlier, Mercer had been activated off the dis
abled list after missing two weeks with a calf injury. The Pirates could have cleared a roster spot by sending rookie Kevin Newman back to Triple-A Indianapolis for a few days. Instead, they cut veteran Sean Rodriguez.
The significance wasn’t difficult to decipher. Before a game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park, Mercer was called into Hurdle’s office. Out in the clubhouse, Newman greeted a handful of players who’d arrived from Indy as September call-ups.
Hurdle’s message was the same one he delivered to second baseman Josh Harrison: the new guys are going to play. Mercer,...