Pirates Extend Contract of Manager Don Kelly

Pirates Extend Manager Don Kelly

Kelly took over on May 8 when the Pirates fired his predecessor, Derek Shelton , after a disappointing 12-26 start. At the time, general manager Ben Cherington described Kelly’s status as “permanent for this season.” Kelly’s hiring had an immediate impact on the team, as they began to play with more energy and enthusiasm. The Pirates were 59-65 under Kelly, a pace that would have netted them 77 wins over a 162-game season. That’s not a record that’s going to produce championships, but it was in line with reasonable expectations, and may have exceeded them, given the roster Kelly was given to work with.

This latest news is the realization of a lifelong dream for the Pittsburgh native Kelly, who played baseball at Point Park College in downtown Pittsburgh, played 25 games for the Pirates in 2007, and married the sister of former Pirate Neil Walker. Immediately upon taking the reins as manager, Kelly showed some fire, getting ejected from two games in his first week. Pirates players remarked that they liked playing for a manager who had their back. On May 16, the Pirates brought back former manager Gene Lamont to serve as a special advisor to Kelly. Lamont joked that Kelly needed to stay in games longer because he didn’t want to do any managing. From then on, Kelly was ejected in just two more games.

Kelly also became popular with the fans. Oh, he has his critics on the talk shows and social media, as do all major league managers. Most understand the impossible task he was given.

“The First of Many Steps”

Kelly’s extension would seem to suggest that, by extension (no pun intended), Cherington is safe for at least the start of next season. After all, a new general manager surely would have wanted to name his own manager. It was recently learned that Cherington’s contract runs through 2027.

“Donnie has earned the respect of the players, front office, and our fans – and he has certainly earned mine,” said Nutting in a statement. “Donnie took over the team at a true low point. Since then, we’ve seen meaningful progress, not just in the clubhouse culture, but on the field. . . Today’s announcement of Donnie is the first of many steps we will take this offseason to bring winning baseball back to Pittsburgh.”