CENTER TWP — Former Pittsburgh Pirate manager Clint Hurdle will be guest speaker at the “All In Men, Let's Get Real” Christian Sports International dinner Thursday at the Crossfire Campus in Butler.

Hurdle, 62, is good friends with CSI president Scott Grinder of Zelienople.

“I argued over the strike zone with him in Class AAA when I was a player and Scott was umpiring,” Hurdle said. “That's how far back we go.

“When I got the (managerial) job in Pittsburgh, Scott was the first person locally who reached out to me. We've had a great relationship.”

A devout Christian, Hurdle has spoken at a number of past CSI events.

“He's not one of those guys who shows up five minutes before he's scheduled to speak and leaves five minutes after,” Grinder said. “Clint makes it a point to be there before anyone else gets there.

“He wants to shake hands and meet every person as they walk in. That's just who he is.”

The event begins at 6 p.m. Tom McGough, a former Cleveland Indians pitcher who now serves as general manager of the Faith & Family Channel, will be master of ceremonies.

Jimmy Swogger, pastor at Oakland Church of God in Distant, Pa., and an accomplished singer and ventriloquist, will be performing. Swogger has traveled the world and has performed at the White House, as well as at numerous stadiums and college campuses.

Door prizes will be given away at the dinner.

Tickets for the CSI event are $20 and are available at www.TeamCSI.org.

Grinder said Hurdle's speeches are always worthwhile and enlightening.

“He's just a straight-up guy,” he said. “Clint is very serious about his faith. He sends me a text, a Scripture passage or something on his own, pretty much every day.

“He believes in his faith. He trusts his faith. What happened to him with the Pirates hasn't shaken him at all.”

Hurdle was let go as Pirates manager during the final weekend of the 2019 regular season. His 735 wins are fourth most on the Bucs' all-time list, trailing only Fred Clarke, Danny Murtaugh and Jim Leyland. All three managed the Pirates longer than Hurdle.

“A manager's No. 1 job is to sell tickets,” Hurdle said. “We didn't sell enough tickets this year and I was relieved of my duties.

“A big part of life is dealing with adversity. I don't know what 'next' is for me. God's got my 'next.' And I trust God.”

Hurdle and his family live in the Wexford area.

“My phone's been ringing,” Hurdle said. “I've got some opportunities in baseball that involve wearing a uniform. I've got some that don't involve wearing a uniform. I have opportunities outside of baseball.

“Our kids have grown up in Pittsburgh. Whatever move we make — if we leave the area at all — will be a family decision.”

Part of Hurdle's talk Thursday will be about dealing with adversity and appreciating one's blessings.

“I managed a team in Colorado that got to the World Series. I managed a team in Pittsburgh that ended 20 years of losing and got to the postseason three years in a row,” he said. “We brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.

“I feel blessed to have played a small part with those teams.”

He also feels blessed to be speaking in Butler come Thursday.

“It's a chance to shake hands and say thank you,” Hurdle said. “I like to thank people for their support of me, my family and the Pirates. This is a great city with great people.

“My life is going to change again. Without faith, you wrestle with change. With faith, you embrace change and walk with it.”