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Pirates put Bill Mazeroski, Bill Virdon back in uniform

Bill Mazeroski, Bill Virdon, Alex Presley

Former Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski, left, greets Pirates left fielder Alex Presley, right, as former Pirates center fielder Bill Virdon watches in the dugout before an interleague baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

AP

The Pirates had some extra help in the dugout Tuesday night, with Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski and former center fielder Bill Virdon added to the coaching staff.

According to the Tribune-Review, the Pirates got permission from the Twins to add a couple of extra coaches for their series against Minnesota.

“This isn’t a fantasy camp thing; this isn’t spring training,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’re going to have them here to help coach and teach and have them at least feel part of it more throughout the game. We brought them in for them to bring us something, and hopefully we can give them something in return and everybody wins.”

Mazeroski, maybe the best defensive second baseman in major league history, was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 2001. He spent his entire 17-year career with the Pirates. Virdon was never an All-Star in the bigs, but his glove made him a regular in center for 11 seasons. He was also a two-time Manager of the Year, first with the Yankees and later with the Astros.