Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Kevin McClatchy -- What's important to me is to make sure you have the fire to do the job. ... I do have that fire. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Shelly Anderson: Fans keep turning out for baseball

Kevin McClatchy made official yesterday that he will continue as the Pirates' chief executive officer and managing general partner, and that he will retain his share of the ownership group.

Well, as official as it gets.

There is no contract, he said. Nor was one in place beforehand.

"Maybe several years ago I signed something, but nothing recently," McClatchy said a few minutes after the team issued an afternoon news release. "It's really just been more of an unspoken thing."

And how long might he stick around? One year? Two?

"It's open-ended. It's been that way forever. I'm pretty comfortable with the way things work."

Why, then, the fuss over the long summer? Why wait so long to say if he was staying or going?

"It's something where some people started talking about it this summer or speculating I was going to get fired or whatever, and I just made up my mind I wasn't going to talk about it until after the season. I just wanted to worry about the second half. To be honest, I think there was a little more made out of this than was probably necessary."

Maybe, maybe not.

To begin with the particulars ...

Nothing about McClatchy's status will change. He will retain all previous responsibilities with the Pirates, which he has held since leading the group that bought them in 1996. He also will keep his seats on Major League Baseball's executive council, international committee and the labor committee that will negotiate the collective bargaining agreement that expires Dec. 19.

He will retain, too, his unique status of having two votes on the team's four-man board of directors. The other members are board chairman Robert Nutting and his father, Ogden, of the Nutting newspaper family, as well as North Carolina businessman Donald Beaver.

Up close: Name: Kevin S. McClatchy. Age: 43. Born: Sacramento, Calif. Pirates history: Led the ownership group that purchased the Pirates in 1996 and has served as managing general partner since then. Education: Received a degree in political science from University of California at Santa Barbara. Professional background: Before becoming owner of the Pirates, served as national sales manager for the Newspaper Network, a subsidiary of McClatchy Newspapers. ... Serves on the board of trustees of the Roberto Clemente Sports Foundation, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, McClatchy Newspapers and the Extra Mile Education Foundation.

The lone change afoot: Two more members will be added to the board by next spring, McClatchy revealed yesterday, though he would divulge no specifics.

By all accounts, McClatchy's job never was in jeopardy. To the contrary, the Nuttings, who own the great majority of the team and dominate the financial decisions, urged him to return.

That was evident in a rare public utterance from Bob Nutting yesterday in the form of a written statement: "The Board and the partnership group are completely supportive of Kevin and his executive team. We have great confidence in this group and are especially pleased to have Kevin as our managing general partner and CEO. He will continue in that position as long as he desires."

Now, how close might McClatchy have come to quitting?

He would not get specific, but he did acknowledge that "a lot of things" crossed his mind around the time the Pirates were 30-60 at the All-Star break, well on their way to a 14th consecutive losing season, 11th under his ownership.

"Yeah, I'm sure everybody in their jobs or careers thinks about a lot of things," McClatchy said. "But what's important to me is to make sure you have the fire to do the job. When that's out, you should be gone. But I do have that fire. It's not put out by any stretch. I hired Dave Littlefield. I hired Jim Tracy. I want to see us get the job done here."

He reiterated his enthusiasm for the Pirates' 37-35 performance in the second half, which just might have played a part in his decision.

"We're not perfect, by any means. You see that we have a couple holes to fill. But it's not six. We're starting to see a core of young players coming together, starting to make some strides. But there's work to be done. And, from my standpoint, I feel like, leaving right now, we wouldn't have been finishing what we started. I like what I've seen, and I expect it to get better."

He was asked if his expectations include a winning 2007.

"Clearly, I expect this team to be improved next year," he replied, going no further.

He did expound, though, when asked how much it might mean to him to finally win.

"It would mean more to me than probably any other owner out there, with all the stuff that's gone on. But nobody deserves it more than the fans. It would be special for them, and it would be special for me. I do believe that there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

On other matters, McClatchy:

Reaffirmed that the 2007 player payroll will remain in the range of $45 million, the same amount spent this past season.

Said that the $5.5 million the Pirates must pay the Oakland Athletics next year to complete the Jason Kendall trade should not be counted against that payroll figure.

Pledged to bolster the team's long-lagging effort to sign Latin American talent, which is exempt from the draft: "I think it's a fair assessment, just by looking at our roster, to say we didn't do as good a job there as we should have. But I think you will start to see that change. It takes time."

Also yesterday, the Pirates announced the promotions of three executives: Jim Plake, chief financial officer, and Dennis DaPra, general manager of PNC Park operations, each became a senior vice president. Tim Schuldt, vice president of marketing, sales and broadcasting, gained the title of chief marketing and sales officer.