How about an Eph baseball mafia?

To hear their names mentioned as possible candidates for a front-office job in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization came as a surprise to both Dan and Jim Duquette yesterday.

Only one of them, however, showed interest in the position.

Dan and Jim Duquette, who are cousins, were mentioned as possible successors to Kevin McClatchy as chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sunday’s editions of the Beaver County Times and The Baltimore Sun, as well as various other outlets. McClatchy announced July 6 that he will step down as Pirates CEO at the end of the season.

“It sounds like it could be an interesting opportunity,” said Dan Duquette, president of the Dan Duquette Sports Academy and owner of the Pittsfield Dukes of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

When reached by phone yesterday, Jim Duquette, vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles, said it was flattering to be considered a possible candidate for the job, but reiterated the point he’d made in the Sunday edition of The Sun, saying he is happy in his current job in Baltimore. He has been with the Orioles since 2005, following his year as general manager of the New York Mets.

“I came down here a little under two years ago, and I have some unfinished business to do here,” Jim Duquette said. “I think we’re going in the right direction, and I don’t expect to be any place other than where I am.”

If he should change his mind, he has connections in the Pirates’ front office. Current chairman of the board Robert Nutting, like Jim Duquette, is a graduate of Williams College.

Nutting is class of 1984 and wife Leslie is class of 1985. William Nutting ‘59 and Ogden Nutting ‘56 are, presumably, relations. Duquette ‘88 has been featured on EphBlog before.