The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that the team was parting ways with longtime manager Clint Hurdle.

In a press release issued by the organization, Neal Huntington, executive vice president and general manager for the team, called the decision to let Hurdle go “extremely difficult,” adding that the organization believed it was “time for a managerial change.”

The 62-year-old Hurdle was named manager of the Pirates in 2010, becoming the 39th manager in the organization's history. Hurdle and his staff posted a 735-720-1 record in his nine seasons, finishing his career fourth with all time wins.

“This has easily been the most difficult season of my tenure,” Pirates chairman and owner Bob Nutting said in a statement released this afternoon. “Today we announced that we are parting ways with Clint, but make no mistake about it, this is by no means a statement that our shortcomings are solely Clint's fault. The entire organization is accountable and that begins with me.”

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