Freese takes no prisoners
accountability. You’ve got to have all these things. I’ve been here for two years, and we just kind of lacked in that department a little bit. We’ve got to pick that up.”
Freese pulled few punches in describing a culture he didn’t feel was conducive to winning, and, in particular, pointed to the clubhouse.
“You have to understand when you walk through the door why we’re here,” Freese said. “It’s to stay out of the red, I guess, a little bit, but it is about winning.”
“You don’t have to make the postseason or this or that, but, at the end of the year, you have to say, ‘We honestly went for it.’”
Freese took some of the blame for the Pirates’ two consecutive losing seasons after three postseason runs in a row. He also distributed it.
“I haven’t done the best job,” Freese said. I think everybody can do better. [Clint] Hurdle, the coaches, the players — everybody around can focus on what’s truly important. But you’ve got to start from the ground up. You can’t try to do these things, and, if you don’t have the demand to win, what’s the point in doing anything else?
“The last two years, we haven’t done as well as we could have because of our environment. That’s what I think. I walk in every day, and it’s not in the air. The demand to win just hasn’t been in the air. That’s what you need. You can say all you want about how we’re going to win, this and that, but if you don’t walk in and you don’t feel it and you don’t see it in people’s eyes, it’s just not going to work.”
Freese signed with the Pirates in March 2016. Given the 98-win season that preceded him, Freese was surprised to find a clubhouse culture that, to him, did not match that sort of success.
“It’s not that hard to understand,” Freese said. “You go out there and you have a job to do. Obviously, I’ll be the first to say that over my career I haven’t 100 percent done the best job of coming in ready to go, being a leader or this or that. But you have to take pride in getting that vibe in the air that people come into our place that they’re going to have to work their tail off to win that series. When you go somewhere else, the same thing.
“I feel like the past two years that people, teams come in and kind of, ‘ OK, we’ve got the Pirates, let’s just take care of them.’ That’s unacceptable. You go through ‘13, ‘14, ‘15, I wish I was here for that. Like, I do because I think I’d have a better understanding of the difference. People talk about the different feeling from those three years to these two. When I walked in when I signed, I could tell. I walked into a clubhouse coming off a 98-win season, and I’m like, ‘Here we go.’ “
“When you walk through the door — 8, 9, 10 hours a day — you’re focused on how to beat that guy on the mound, how to get those guys out on the other team,” Freese said.
“Then, as you gradually just come together as a unit, you’re on the same goal. It’s just going to get better. You’ve got to have the talent. You look around and, not a ton of experience, but who needs experience, honestly? If you’re good, you’re good; you’re going to play well. These young guys on this team are animals, and they’re studs. A few of them are going to be superstars.
“We need the guys that have been around to step up and play better, whether you’re an everyday guy or a bench guy, we’ve got to do our part. But the three hours, man, when you’re in that dugout and on that field, it has to be about kicking some [butt].
“When you’re losing 10-2 in the pouring rain against [Chicago Cubs manager] Joe Maddon and you’re laughing, that’s not good. That says a lot.”
And, contrasting somewhat with Harrison, he said he understood the decision by the front office to trade McCutchen and Cole.
“You look at the Steelers, Penguins and you’ve got the Pirates,” he said. “If I’m kind of handling this situation, I’d be losing sleep trying to compete with those other two teams. To have all three teams in a city like Pittsburgh be on top of each league, that would be incredible.
“Losing Cutch is tough, but the fans, I hope they understand the Pirates are doing the best they can to be, I don’t want to say ‘competitive.’ Screw that word. It’s such a safe word. If you start demanding to win, I think jobs become — I’m not going to go there — but I hope the fans understand the Pirates are trying to win and that they are trying to do the right thing for the organization with what they’re trying to do.”
Freese also said he’s fine with Harrison’s criticism of the front office.
“Him saying those things, it’s all good. I know it happens everywhere all the time. The guy wants to win. He signed an extension here. “
In response to Freese’s comments, Hurdle said he welcomed his players’ perspectives.
“David and I had conversations at the end of the season, and I love his perception,” Hurdle said when asked about Freese.
“I love all the players’ perceptions. I think that’s one of the best lessons I’ve learned over time is you can’t argue with somebody about their perception. … I’m not going to argue with David’s perception. I see it a little differently, but I’m not in the clubhouse every day, by design. I honor whatthe men have to say.”
“David and I want the same thing,” Hurdle added. “Josh and I want the same thing. How we navigate it together is the part that’s always fun and can be challenging in sport.”