Kevin McClatchy is dropping his title as the Pirates' managing general partner, officially ceding control of the franchise to another member of the team's board of directors, Robert Nutting. But the move likely will have little impact on the franchise's operations.

McClatchy will retain his title of chief executive officer and will continue to be "responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization," according to the team's official news release this morning. That means he will remain the person with daily control of the team's core element, that being its baseball operations, and general manager Dave Littlefield will continue to answer to him.

Nutting will not assume the title of managing general partner, but he will become the primary owner recognized by Major League Baseball, once the owners vote on the matter at their annual meeting Jan. 18 in Phoenix.

"I am deeply and resolutely committed to the success of the Pittsburgh Pirates both on and off the field," Nutting said in a statement. "I understand how important the Pirates are to the people of this region, and I share in their passion to see this team succeed. Kevin was very supportive of this change of control, and it should provide absolute clarity for our fans regarding the ownership structure of the team."

Nutting will become the sixth principal owner in franchise history, joining Barney Dreyfuss (1900-32), Bill Benswanger (1932-46), John Galbreath (1946-85), Pittsburgh Associates (1985-96) and McClatchy, who bought the team as part of a partnership in 1996.

The move came as the result of MLB urging the Pirates to clarify their ownership status. The Pirates had continued to put forward McClatchy as the face of the franchise, as well as a member of several MLB committees, including those for labor and international affairs.

"Bob and his family provide strong, stable ownership for the Pirates," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said. "Their long history of leading successful organizations and multi-generational commitment to the Pittsburgh region will translate well for the Pirates. I have enjoyed working with Bob over the past several years. He has a great passion for the Pirates and a tremendous desire for the team to succeed."

The Pirates also announced the addition of two members to the board of directors, each with a Nutting affiliation: Bill Nutting, vice president of Ogden Newspapers, and Duane Witman, chief financial officer of Ogden Newspapers. They join Bob Nutting, McClatchy, G. Ogden Nutting -- the head of Ogden Newspapers -- and North Carolina businessman Don Beaver.

There are six seats on the board, with each member having one vote. Previously, McClatchy was the only member with two votes.

Nutting and McClatchy promised to build the Pirates into winners after 14 consecutive losing seasons.

"I believe there is absolutely nothing more important than for this team to be able to win on a consistent basis," Nutting said. "I am committed to providing Kevin and Dave the greatest amount of support possible to accomplish that. Our fans deserve it, our community deserves it, and I expect it."

"Bob and his family have been tremendous partners," McClatchy said. "This change of control was the right thing to do considering their gradual increased investment in the ballclub. Bob and I agree that the best way for us to win on the field is to build from within. This is the plan we believe in, and the one that Dave was brought in to develop and execute. We had a strong second half in 2006 and I'm confident that we'll continue to improve in 2007."

The Pirates were 67-95 last season, but 37-35 after the All-Star break.