Lloyd McClendon Takes Center Stage - manager of baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates - Brief Article

Ebony, Sept, 2001

Pittsburgh Pirates manager is executing a plan to turn his team around

When Lloyd McClendon was growing up in Gary, Ind., observers knew there was something special about him, especially after witnessing his performance in the 1971 Little League Baseball World Series. During a three-game period, the 12-year-old pitcher let his bat do his talking--hitting five home runs in five straight at-bats, a record that stood for 25 years.

Now, 30 years later, the memories of that experience are still vivid and still hold a special place in the former Little Leaguer's heart. "It was great being a part of history," says the 42-year-old former Major Leaguer who has been named to the Little League Baseball World Series Commemorative Team. "Setting the records that I did was and still is very gratifying."

Today, much of McClendon's gratification comes from his role as the first African-American manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of the most storied franchises in baseball history. Prior to this year, he had been the Pirates' hitting coach for the past four years, and his managerial experience had been limited to winter baseball for the past three years. During that stint, he led Lancaster to the California League fall championship in 1999. Some questioned his selection because of his lack of big-league managing experience, but he was selected over three other candidates because, as Pirates CEO Kevin McClatchy put it: "Plain and simple, he [was] the best guy available."

In McClendon, the Pirates chose a manager who has the ability to motivate and communicate with today's players, many of whom, critics say, don't have a healthy degree of respect for the game. As a player, he teamed with some of the so-called "new generation players" during an eight-year Major League career that included stints with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and the Pirates. Even then, he exhibited admirable leadership qualities that got the attention of baseball fans, players and administrators. "I've always been the guy to bring guys together and prepare them for games, so maybe I was managing then," he says. "During more than 21 years in this game, I've learned that when you step on the field, you play the game the best you can."

That's what McClendon has had his players doing this year, but his plan to take the Pirates back to their glory days has been seriously hampered by a series of injuries to front-line players. Even so, that hasn't dampened his enthusiasm and optimism for a quick turn-around. He knows what it takes to win and has his sights set on the World Series--this time the big-league kind.