Gene Lamont Returns to Pirates Dugout After 25 Years

His role will primarily be as a sounding board for Kelly. "I think there’s things that happen in the game, before the game, after the game that, because Donnie’s never managed, he may have a question," Lamont said. "Did I do the right thing or this? He can run things by me and I’ll mention some things to him. But I think a lot of it will be Donnie asking me questions."

The decision to return came after conversations with his family and former Pirates manager Jim Leyland. "Jim mentioned that maybe Donnie would call, and I was receptive, but I couldn’t say yes right away," Lamont said. "I had to say I’d think about it."

He dismissed concerns about the grind of a full season at his age. "Everybody mentions all the travel stuff – travel’s not tough to me. You get on a charter flight, walk on a bus and go into a real nice hotel."

Lamont expressed confidence in Kelly’s ability to lead the team. "When Donnie played with us with the Tigers, you could tell that he was a real student of the game," he said. "You never know for sure, but a lot of times you go by the kind of questions they ask. Donnie used to ask a lot of questions about strategy and things like that."

As for the struggling Pirates, Lamont was blunt. "I think we’re a much better team than we’ve played," he said. "But you have to do it on the field. You’ve got to make pitches, and everybody knows we’ve got to hit a little better... In the big leagues, everybody says play hard. Well, in the big leagues you’ve got to play good. And we have to play better."

Lamont, who also managed the Chicago White Sox from 1992 to 1995, also shared a humorous warning for Kelly about ejections, who was booted from two of his first seven games managed.

 "I told Donnie the other day, I said, 'Donnie, I want to come back, but if I have to manage two out of every four games, I’m not coming.'"

Reflecting on his return to Pittsburgh, Lamont grew nostalgic. "The Pirates are really the first organization I think about, because this is where I came in ’86 in a real bad situation," he said. "It’s just good to get back out. I love the city. The ballpark is beautiful."

Now, he hopes to help turn around the Pirates once again — just like he and Leyland did decades ago. "You gotta win to really get the fans into the game," he said.

And with that, Gene Lamont is back in black and gold.