Walker, Cutch happy to see Hurdle extended

PITTSBURGH -- Clint Hurdle was unsure of the impact his contract extension would have in the clubhouse. In his view, players who care will be neutralized by those who do not.

"That's been my experience," said Hurdle, attributing that to both his playing and managerial careers. "There will be some players who care, and some that don't. So I don't know how much difference it will make for players."

Two veteran Pirates players, however, saw positives in the stability, citing the transparency that makes Hurdle easy to play for.

"He lets us do our own thing in the clubhouse. It's our clubhouse, and he doesn't interfere with that," said second baseman Neil Walker. "He just does his job. At the same time, he knows when to voice an opinion or a thought, and when to lay off."

"It's pretty simple to get along with Hurdle," said center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who recalled that getting a read on the new manager in 2011 was also a simple process. "As soon as he stepped in, he pretty much showed the type of person he was going to be. It made it easier on us.

"It wasn't like we had to feel him out, for what we could and couldn't do, or what we could or couldn't say. It made it a lot easier for us to know the boundaries pretty early."

Not having to learn new boundaries, possibly for as long as four more years, will also simplify life for the clubhouse denizens.