Tuesday, July 01

PITTSBURGH -- Sometimes, you just need a hug from your mom. Out of the countless ones Sue Bednar has given her eldest son, David, two really hit home. 

The first came in 2016, after being away from his family for the longest stretch of his career. David was in the Cape Cod League when he was selected by the Padres in the 35th round of the 2016 Draft, and he had to book it to the other side of the country to Pasco, Wash., to join the Tri-City Dust Devils. 

A pro journey was far from guaranteed. Bednar wasn’t heavily recruited out of Mars High School. He didn’t light up radar guns as a teenager, but when Lafayette College coach Joe Kinney saw him pitch in person as a senior, he offered him a scholarship. David accepted, but that meant he would need to move to the eastern part of Pennsylvania, away from home. 

It didn’t matter. Sue and his father, Andy, were still there to watch, crossing the Keystone State plenty of times. 

“Her and my dad would make trips to Lafayette all the time,” Bednar said. “They’d make a day trip out to Philly. I’d be pitching at 1 o’clock, they’d drive out early that morning and have to go home that night.” 

Between being at college, going to the Cape Cod League and going to the other coast, Bednar had been away from his family for months. That was until Sue showed up in Pasco one day to see her son play and give him a hug. 

Fast forward three years for the second hug. Bednar had risen through the Padres’ system and made his Major League debut in San Francisco. There wasn’t that much warning that Bednar was going up to the Majors. There were even fewer flights, so Sue and Andy couldn’t attend. They instead caught him in Arizona, the next stop on the Padres’ road trip. 

That kid who wasn’t getting recruited out of high school was hugging his mom at a Major League stadium. 

“It was just the realization of everything it took to get to that point,” Bednar said. “Just realizing how special that moment was.” 

Bednar’s return home and growth into an All-Star closer has been one of the better local angles to come out of Pittsburgh this decade. Bednar also has been one of the most impactful Pittsburgh athletes in the community these past five years, being the Pirates’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award three times. 

That’s a product of his upbringing, and what he, his brother, Will – who pitches in the Giants’ farm system – and sister, Danielle, learned from their parents. Bednar has a competitive edge when on the mound, something he learned from his dad, a coach and former pitcher himself. Off the mound, he’s almost always wearing a smile. Collected, chill, happy. That’s Sue. 

“She’s always really supportive and positive,” Bednar said. “I think that’s where I get my ‘go with the flow’ type mindset. It was her balance.” 

Earlier this year, Bednar and his wife, Casey, welcomed their first child. Now embarked on his own parenting journey, he has some role models to look up to. 

“It’s not like one memory that sticks out,” Bednar said. “It’s the culmination of all of them, with the common theme of [her] always being there for me. I think that’s what means the most.” 

Which player most recently had their number retired by the Pirates? 

A. Bill Mazeroski
B. Willie Stargell
C. Paul Waner

D. Ralph Kiner

On Thursday, the Pirates parted ways with Derek Shelton and named Don Kelly as the new manager. Shelton managed the team for six seasons, but he was let go after a 12-26 start. 

Additional reading on the Pirates’ coaching changes can be found here: 

• Shelton out as Pirates manager; bench coach Don Kelly takes his place 

• Message of Shelton's dismissal to players: 'We need to play better' 

• Hometown boy Kelly sees 'opportunity for growth' with Pirates 

• Pirates dismiss strategy coach Radley Haddad 

“The one thing with Jim is that he cares about people. He cares about his staff. He cared about his players. The way he went about it every day, it was relentless that he wanted to win. And I think that seeing the way that he carried himself, he was consistent in his decisions, he was consistent in how he treated people. And I know that a lot of Pirates fans look back on the Barry Bonds moment, right? Why did he do that? He didn't do that for Jim Leyland. Ultimately, he did that for Barry Bonds. And I think Barry, if he were here, he would tell you that he respected that, and that's why Jim did that. I learned a lot from Jim. 

“There's a long list. But I think at the end of the day, his care for his staff and his care for the players and how that played out wasn't always nice, I guess. He would get after you. He never told you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear." 

– Kelly, on what he learned from his former manager, Jim Leyland 

C. Waner

Waner had his number 11 retired in 2007, making him the most recent player to have a number taken out of circulation. It was most recently worn by Humberto Cota from 2001-07. 

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