DETROIT -- Pittsburgh was always Don Kelly’s home, but for six years, his home away from home was a little less than 300 miles away on I-85. Kelly is a Pittsburgh kid and broke through to the Majors with the Pirates, but Detroit is where he made a name for himself, a stalwart of Jim Leyland’s bench. For a team jam-packed with All-Stars and future Hall of Famers, Kelly also became a fan favorite -- if not a bit of a cult hero -- for his style of baseball. “I think that just going out there, being a team guy and doing everything that I could in those times to help us win,” Kelly said after trying to laugh off the compliment of being a fan favorite. “I hope that I did that, and that's what my goal was.”
It was with Detroit that the seeds of Kelly one day being a coach or manager started to be planted. He’d try to manage along with Leyland in his head to try to figure out how he could enter a game, whether it was as a pinch-hitter or defensive replacement. When Kelly did hang up his spikes after the 2016 season, his first jobs were in the player development and scouting departments with the Tigers. |
But to get into coaching, Kelly went to the Astros, becoming the first-base coach for A.J. Hinch’s staff. Kelly’s had a couple homecomings to Detroit now since the Pirates play at least two games a year against the Tigers, but Tuesday was the first time he had been on the top step of the dugout. And opposing him was the manager who gave him his first chance as a coach. “I hope we make him miserable for three days being back in Detroit,” Hinch said. “We can cheer him, but let's leave him in three days miserable. Everybody loves him, you know.” There was plenty that Hinch liked about Kelly when he made the hire ahead of the 2019 season. Kelly was a utility player, so he had a lot of practical knowledge of the game. He also showed a natural curiosity about the game, as evidenced by his stops in scouting and player development. |
“I liked how he could be relatable to the players, and I thought he could impact players, which is why I brought him on our staff,” Hinch said. “[We] got to the World Series with him as a coach, and then he was off on his way to Pittsburgh." “I always appreciate A.J. giving me that first opportunity in Houston,” Kelly said. “With this being the second home in Detroit, outside of the games that we play them, [I'm] always pulling for the Tigers.” Kelly parlayed that second coaching opportunity as the Pirates’ bench coach to become the manager of his hometown team, but it was in Detroit where he got to fully experience what it means to be a Major Leaguer, including reaching some of the highs of the sport. “When you get to the big leagues, you feel like you made it to the top of baseball, which you do. And then you make the playoffs,” Kelly said. “The feeling and the vibe and the energy and the pressure is something you haven't felt before. And that's what we're working towards here is getting to that spot.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Gene Lamont, a special advisor to Kelly on the coaching staff, was a first-round pick by the Tigers in 1965, which was the inaugural baseball Draft. Who did the Pirates take with their first Draft pick in 1965? A) Willie Stargell B) Wayne Dickerson C) Steve Nicosia D) Tim Foli |
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SKENES MAKING FANS AT WRIGLEY |
Whenever Paul Skenes is toeing the rubber at Wrigley Field, he is enemy No. 1. He’s made three starts at the historic ballpark and has yet to surrender a run, which included five scoreless frames on Saturday. Whenever Skenes is shagging batting practice at Wrigley Field, he is beloved. Sure, a lot of that is because he was throwing the balls he was fielding into the stands, but the two sides were having fun with it, with Skenes hamming it up to get the crowd riled up before occasionally just throwing a ball to the side instead. “I just think it’s funny,” Skenes said. “... They got loud here when I asked them to.” Skenes’ routine is very regimented, especially on days he throws, but he usually takes some extra time shagging flies at least once a series. It’s a break from the rest of the job, and when he’s on the road, it’s a chance to interact with fans. (The Pirates wrap their batting practice before fans can enter PNC Park.) Sometimes, it’s just tossing balls to fans in the stands, but Skenes also made a young fan’s day back when the Pirates were playing in Miami to start the season, playing catch with him from the loanDepot park bleachers. Moments like that and Wrigley resonate for a former youth baseball rat who frequented Angel Stadium. “I’d bring my glove to the games and try to catch home runs,” Skenes said. “I remember being that kid, so being on the other side is pretty cool.” |
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The Pirates will be hosting their third Zambelli fireworks show of the season this Friday after their game against the Rangers. Tickets can be found here. |
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B) Dickerson Dickerson was the 10th overall pick in 1965, but he never advanced above Single-A in his pro career. The Pirates did select several future big leaguers in that Draft, including Freddie Patek, Gene Garber and 1971 World Series champion Bob Moose. |
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