PITTSBURGH – Bailey Falter pitched masterfully, allowing only two hits in six innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates gave their new manager, Don Kelly, a win in his debut, defeating the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Friday night.
Kelly, a Pittsburgh-area native promoted from bench coach to manager on Thursday following the firing of Derek Shelton, received a warm ovation when introduced before the game. Then, he sat back and watched as the Pirates executed a precise game that had been elusive during their difficult start to the season.
There was nervousness when Kelly headed to PNC Park that day, anticipating the start of Pittsburgh’s weekend series. Also a bit of anxiety.
Those nerves will soon disappear as 45-year-old Kelly tries to get more out of an underperforming team that hasn’t played like the group most in the organization felt was on the verge of competing when the season began six weeks ago.
“When we look at these things, yes, the record is not where any of us expect it to be right now,” Kelly said on Friday. “But there’s a lot of opportunity for growth, there’s a lot of opportunity to improve.”
Don Kelly
The Pirates’ victory on Friday ended a seven-game losing streak that had already left them 10 games out of a playoff spot, largely due to an offense that ranks among the worst in the majors in every major category.
This is one of the reasons why Shelton’s dismissal was not surprising, not even for a player who has not been in the majors for a full year.
“At the end of the day, we’re 12-26,” said Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year. “Someone has to be held accountable. And, unfortunately, right now, it’s him. That’s just how it works. But I don’t know if that fixes the root of the problem, which is that we need to play better.”
Paul Skenes
Enter Kelly, who played in college at Point Park University, a small liberal arts school a few blocks from the Allegheny River, across from PNC Park. A season in a summer college league between his sophomore and junior years convinced the Detroit Tigers to select Kelly in the eighth round of the 2001 draft. He spent nine seasons bouncing from team to team, including the Pirates, as a 6-foot-4-inch version of duct tape: willing to plug a hole wherever needed.
Kelly retired after the 2016 season and spent time as a scout before moving into full-time coaching with Houston in 2018. By the end of 2019, he was back home as a bench coach on Shelton’s staff.
Kelly isn’t sure what kind of impact it may have on the final 120 games of the season. However, he has no plans to change who he is or how he communicates with the players who are now forced to see him in a different light.
“When players know you care about them and know that ultimately you care about the team, you care about winning, that’s what it all comes down to,” Kelly said.
Don Kelly
During his first full day in his new position, Kelly challenged the Pirates to try to find the kind of joy in the game that has been elusive during a miserable spring.
When asked how much progress could be expected, the man who still walks through a darkened PNC Park after games and marvels at the city’s skyline offered an honest answer.
“I guess time will tell,” he said. “I don’t know exactly.”
Don Kelly
