Thursday afternoon, shortly before manager Clint Hurdle candidly remarked to reporters he hasn’t managed third baseman David Freese’s playing time wisely this season, Hurdle summoned Freese into his office at PNC Park. Hurdle was ready for a tough talk, aware what he had to say might bother Freese, 34, a veteran and former World Series MVP.
It didn’t.
“I knew where we were headed. It was cool,” Freese recalled Friday. “He said, ‘These conversations usually go really bad or really good.’ I cut him off. I said, ‘This is going to be a good conversation.’ I’m a realist.