Pirates need to make Yost-esque hire

The first names you will hear in connection with the Pirates' managerial vacancy are Jim Leyland, Ken Macha and Art Howe, all of whom have strong Pittsburgh ties.
None is the right man for the job.
The Pirates need to find the next Ned Yost, a young, upbeat manager who will demonstrate the proper patience with the team's emerging core of young talent.
Leyland, the team's manager from 1986 to '96, is better suited for a contender. Macha, the A's current manager, probably isn't dynamic enough. Howe, previously with the A's and Mets, certainly doesn't fit that description.
General manager David Littlefield couldn't retain McClendon, not when his own job soon might be at stake. But because Littlefield needs to win, he probably will want a manager with major-league experience. One more loss will give the Pirates 13 straight losing seasons, the longest such streak in professional sports.
Littlefield would be foolish to give in to popular sentiment and hire a local candidate simply for the public-relations boost. Macha, a leading contender for American League Manager of the Year, would be a safe hire and maybe a good one, assuming he wanted to leave the A's. But the Pirates need to be open-minded and find the best development-oriented manager possible.
Yost lacked major-league experience when the Brewers hired him before the 2003 season. The Indians' Eric Wedge and Blue Jays' John Gibbons also are first-time managers with young clubs. Several highly regarded coaches are waiting for their first managing positions; go find one.
Interim manager Pete Mackanin would make a decent choice, some executives say. Farm director Brian Graham, another internal candidate, helped develop many of the Pirates' youngsters, and has nine years of minor-league managing experience.
This isn't a hopeless cause; the Pirates' outlook is starting to improve. With fresh leadership – and offensive additions who would complement their young pitchers - they could be a .500 club next season.
McClendon, who took over in 2001, never won more than 75 games, yet had more tenure than all but three NL managers. His teams always played hard, but most scouts and executives viewed him as a poor game strategist.
His firing was inevitable; Littlefield, who inherited McClendon, couldn't jeopardize his own position without ever hiring a manager.
This is Littlefield's chance. He can't afford to miss.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/