General Manager Is Fired by Pirates

Larry Doughty was fired Monday as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have won two consecutive National League East championships.

Doughty, whose Pirates led the majors with 98 victories last season, was the second successful Pirate general manager fired in four years. Syd Thrift was dismissed in October 1988, less than a year after having been named Pittsburgh’s man of the year for rebuilding the franchise.

Cam Bonifay, promoted from scouting director to assistant general manager a year ago, will serve as interim general manager. Pirate President Mark Sauer said that Bonifay is a strong candidate to succeed Doughty.

Doughty, 51, said his firing by Sauer, a former St. Louis Cardinal executive hired only nine weeks ago, came as “a total shock” and “a great disappointment.”

Sauer refused to elaborate on the firing, other than to indicate that Doughty had shortcomings in negotiations and the business end of baseball.