Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington navigates criticism by focusing on gratitude, his team's potential.
Modern technology has turned the jobs of those who run baseball departments into non-stop endeavors. They must be on call 24/7/365 to answer phone calls, read texts, or check emails.
Former Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington once told me that the never-ending part of the job hit him one time early in his tenure. Huntington was playing catch with his young son and found himself wondering whether the Pirates would be awarded a player they had claimed off waivers.
So, the president of baseball operations and GMs don’t have any hobbies to help them escape from their jobs for a few hours. Instead, they check their phones over and over and over.
All GMs are subject to criticism. It comes with the territory when you have a job that nearly every fan believes they can do better. Pittsburgh's Ben Cherington knows this, as he has heard many calls from the media and fans to be fired during his seven-year tenure.
However, things are different for Cherington this year during spring training. The fans seem to be softening following an offseason in which he made several moves to bolster the roster of a team that went 71-91 and finished last in the National League Central.
The Pirates signed right fielder Ryan O’Hearn, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, right-hander Jose Urquidy, and left-hander reliever Gregory Soto in free agency. Cherington traded for second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielders Jhostynxon Garcia and Jake Mangum, and lefty reliever Mason Montgomery.
Pittsburgh believes it can be contenders this season, and that idea doesn’t seem like a far-fetched dream, as it has improved a roster whose strength is a pitching staff anchored by NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
Cherington was asked an interesting question last week during a pre-spring training conference with reporters. How does he get away from the criticism when there is essentially no escape valve?
“I do think part of it is don't chase down everything that's written,” Cherington said. “Not sure it's good for any of us to do that. So aware that when you're not delivering to our fans at the level that we know we need to and are focused on, there's going to be criticism that comes with that. It's the nature of the job.”
Cherington said that one way to deal with the negativity is to focus on the gratitude he and the rest of the front office staff feel for working in a sport they love. Cherington appreciates that he holds one of only 30 jobs available in MLB.
“We talk internally all the time about the fact that we get to do this,” Cherington said. “It’s not a right; it's not something that we have to do. We get to do it. We get to do something about delivering more to our fans that gets us up every day, keeps us really motivated. We're really energized by it. We believe in what we can do here in Pittsburgh. We believe in what we're building. Excited about that.”
And on those days when the enthusiasm wanes, Cherington has a support network to lean on.
“Along the way, there can be days when you feel that scrutiny, or just the sort of vibration that's coming,” Cherington said. “Rely on your co-workers, rely on family, rely on the people around you. But it's a privilege to do these jobs; they're not given. And I've always felt that way. So, keep our energy where it needs to be, which is on helping the Pirates be better.”
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