Clint Hurdle

Who is Clint Hurdle?

Clint Hurdle is a former baseball player and manager. Clint Hurdle entered Major League Baseball at the age of 18 and stayed there for over ten years. From being a first-round pick in the MLB Draft to leading the World Series playoffs, his career spans the globe.

He worked and trained for the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and a variety of other teams for over thirty years.

In life, he encourages everyone to “be where their feet are.”

Early Life & Education

Clint Hurdle was born on 30 July 1957 in Big Rapids, Mecosta County, Michigan, to his parents, Clinton Hurdle Sr. and Louise Hurdle.

Likewise, he has two sisters named Robin Hurdle and Bobby Jo Hurdle.

Due to his father’s job at NASA’s Apollo space program, the Hurdle family moved to Merritt Island when Clint was just three.

Hurdle grew up watching NASA’s rocket launches from his backyard along with his two sisters.

Besides that, his family has a long history of baseball.

Clint’s paternal grandfather rejected the offer to play for Cincinnati Reds to support his family.

Clint’s father played collegiate baseball for Ferris State University.

Sadly, Clint Sr. had to abandon his baseball career to join the military.

But he taught his baseball skills to his son.

Junior used to play baseball with his parents, and two sisters on the baseball field near his house.

Moreover, Hurdle joined Merritt Island High School for his high school education.

There he started playing football and baseball.

In his senior year, he was named an all-state quarterback after guiding his team to the state championship.

Age, Height, and Nationality

Clint Hurdle was born in 1957, making him 63 years old as of now.

Added to that, his birth sign is Leo, and the birth plant is a water lily.

Likewise, Hurdle is an American by nationality and falls under white ethnicity. He is also Christian by religion.

Moreover, Clint stands at the height of 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm) and weighs around 195 lb (88 kg).

Interestingly, Clint also went through rigorous dieting to get his present shape body.

Back then, the Hurdle weighed 275 pounds. Likewise, Clint even quieted cheeseburgers and milkshakes to get in good shape.

Besides that, Hurdle’s other notable facts include his short white hair and a pair of gray eyes. During his playing career, Clint used to throw with his right hand and bat with his left.

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Facts of Clint Hurdle

Net Worth and Income

According to online sources, Clint Hurdle has accumulated a net worth of nearly $12 million.

Moreover, Clit earned around $25 million alone as a player. That’s impressive for a player whose career ended more than thirty years ago.

Likewise, Clint was also reported to be earning an annual salary of $3 million as Pirates’ manager.

Over the years, he has donated a lot to charities. Now, he lives a happy and luxurious life with his family.

Professional Career

MLB Draft & Kansas City Royals

After winning a Football State Championship in High School, he got several Scholarship offers.

He first considered the University of Miami’s invitation, which called him to play football and baseball. But he changed his mind and made himself open for the MLB Draft 1975.

His neighbor Bill Fisher was a Royals scout at the time. After impressing him, Clint was able to catch the eyes of the Kansas City Royals.

Clinton got selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the Major League Draft 1975. He was chosen ahead of many future superstars like Carney Lansford, Lou Whitaker, and Lee Smith.

Soon, Hurdle signed a contract after meeting at the nearby restaurant.

Hurdle spent a long time of his playing career at Kansas City Royals playing from 1977 to 1981. But before making the first-team debut, he played in many minor-league clubs.

He was a very talented player, so he was named a generational talent by many analysts.

Traditionally, it takes almost three years for such young players to reach the first team, but he got called up in just two years with some hard work.

On September 18, 1977, Clint made his Major League debut against Seattle Mariners. He played in the right field and batted at fifth.

Furthermore, he played nine games that season with an average of .308 with two home runs and 7 RBIs.

Hurdle produced many memorable moments for Royals fans playing in various positions.

He helped the Royals to win the AL pennant in 1980. After a year, he left the club to join Cincinnati Reds.

Post Kansas Royals

Clint played the 1982 year for Cincinnati Reds but couldn’t reach the expected heights. After that, he never got the peaks he grasped at Kansas Royals.

He joined the Seattle Mariners in 1983 but got released soon after. In April, New York Mets signed him and sent him to Triple-A Tidewater Tides.

Although he created a Triple-A record with 105 RBI, New York Mets didn’t call him the first team.

Hurdle stayed two more years at Mets, alternatively playing for both Mets and Tides. He also played for St. Louis Cardinals before retiring from Major League Baseball.

Clint batted at .259 with 32 home runs and 132 RBIs in his MLB career.

Early Career

Hurdle started his managerial career at Class-A advanced Florida League Club St. Lucie Mets in 1988.

Before landing the big job at the Rockies, he managed Class AA clubs Jackson Mets and Williamsport Bills. Likewise, he also managed Tidewater Tides of Class AAA I. League in 1993.

Before the 1997 season, Rockies manager Don Baylor asked him to be the first-team first-base and hitting coach. Baylor soon liked him.

Under Hurdle, the team’s batting average increased significantly in 2000 and 2001. Sadly, the team did poorly in other parts of the game and finished the season poorly.

After the series of losses, the Rockies fired Buddy Bell just 22 games into the 2002 season. Then, the managerial responsibility came into Hurdle’s hands.

He won the first six matches as a manager, and the Rockies got back on the winning track.

Despite the struggles in July, the team finished in fourth place. He convened his managerial group before the start of the 2003 season.

Hurdle’s team once again finished fourth in 2003. After that, the Rockies extended his contract for two more years.

Clint’s team finished fourth in 2004, last in 2005, and tied for fourth in 2006. Their 67-95 record in 2005 was the worst in club history, but the Rockies didn’t fire him because of his organizational advocate quality.

In the 2007 season, the Rockies won an incredible 20 out of the last 21 matches to reach the world series.

Hurdle took new approaches and led the team to the world series but lost to Boston Red Sox in four games.

But his team once again performed severely in 2008, and the Rockies fired him during the mid-2009 season.

Texas Rangers

Clint signed a contract with the Rangers in November 2009 as a hitting coach.

He was there to cope with young outfielder Josh Hamilton to help him with substance use problems. Clint met him daily and shared his own experience expecting to help him.

At the end of the season, the Rangers won their first pennant, and Hamilton was their most valuable player. He also trained Ian Kinsler in Texas Rangers.

Pittsburgh Pirates

After the end of Ranger’s season, Clint got managerial offers from New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. Hurdle chose Pirates over Mets and soon started to work on his new project.

The impact of his managerial changes showed instantly. Hurdle’s team started the season in an exploding fashion.

The second half of the season’s continuous bad performances saw them finish the second from the last position.

Unfortunately, the same story repeated in 2012, and the team finished in 20th place. Sadly, the Pirates became the first team to complete 20 consecutive seasons with a losing record.

Under Hurdle’s leadership, the Pirates finally broke the curse and finished the 2013 season with 94-68.

He led the team to a playoff spot for the first time since 1992. Hurdle led the team to victory in the 2013 National Leagues wild card game but lost against the Cardinals in game 5.

Hurdle won The Sporting News NL Manager of the Year at the end of the season. He looked to repeat the same feat in 2014. Unfortunately, the team lost the wild cards match to San Francisco Giants.

Hurdle’s team suffered another heartbreak in the 2015 wild card game loss to Chicago Cubs.

However, they finished the season with a 98-64 record. Clint’s bad days started when the Pirates failed to make the wild card in 2016.

Sadly, he once again got unsuccessful in leading his team to Wild Card in 2017 and 2018.

After missing the playoffs berth for four seasons in a row, he got fired from the hot seat in September 2019.

Likewise, on November 12, 2019, Clinton Merrick Hurdle announced his retirement from baseball. Not to mention in his eight seasons as Pirate’s manager, Clint has posted a 666-628-1 record.

Personal Life: Wife & Children

Clint Hurdle is now living a happy, retired life with his wife, Karla Yearick, since 1999.

But, before that, he had many heartbreaks in his personal life. Hurdle suffered two divorces before turning 32.

After getting fame and money at a very young age, he got on the wrong path. Hurdle got into a drinking habit, and it got worse every day. He was not even 25 when his first marriage ended up in divorce.

From his second marriage, he has a daughter named Ashley (born in 1985). However, that marriage, too, ended in divorce.

In 1992, Clint met his current wife, Karla. Karla was an accountant, and he met her when he was in the Accountant’s office to pay taxes.

The couple dated for six years. In 1998, Clint asked her to marry him, but she refused and asked him first to get away from his alcoholism.

After that, he turned to the right path. He remained sober in 1998 and married Karla the next year.

Together they have a daughter, Madison (born 2002), and a son, Christian (born 2004).

Madison had Prader-Willi syndrome after being born prematurely. Hurdle worked as a Prader-Willi syndrome Association’s spokesperson during his time with Colorado Rockies.

He has worked with many charities and institutions to raise funds for patients with Willi syndrome. Mr. and Mrs. Hurdle led ‘Wins for Kids’ to help the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh.

They raised more than $350,000 in six years. For Clint’s contribution to Society, Hurdle was honored with Brooks Robinson Community Service Awards in 2014.

Currently, Clint is spending his retired life happily living with his wife and children.

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Social Media Presence

As expected from people of his age, Clint is not precisely what you would call tech-savvy.

The baseball manager is not available on any social media, but people regularly post about him using #clinthurdle.