Pirates May Have Spark With New Manager

The Pittsburgh Pirates just won their series against the Atlanta Braves in a 4-3 walk-off, and their inspiring new manager may have had something to do with the team's winning energy.

The Pirates recently fired former manager Derek Shelton after six seasons with the team. Under Shelton's direction, the team saw a winning percentage of only .410, the third-worst of any manager with a similar tenure.

With Don Kelly at the helm, however, the vibes seem to have shifted for the better.

Kelly was ejected for the first time as manager during a recent game in the same series, his second as the team's manager, after energetically confronting home plate umpire Clint Vondrak. Fans at PNC Park were on their feet despite the ejection, inspired by Kelly's drive and attitude. In the interview that followed, the new manager described wanting to grind for his team and have their backs.

"Obviously I just disagreed with a few of the calls along the way, and I'm always going to protect my guys. That was really the extent of it."

"These guys are going out and competing. We're grinding, going out there fighting and having their backs."

The new manager has named Jim Leyland, who managed the team from 1986-1996, as a personal role model, and recently described his desire to emulate the former manager's evenness both under pressure and in the wake of failure.

"I think as a player, you feel that and yesterday I felt it a little bit. You learn how to slow it down, not that I did it perfectly yesterday."

"I'm sure there's going to be times it does speed up and same thing I tell the players — you've got to learn how to breathe, slow the heart and the mind down and continue to move on.”

The team has not been performing well for some time, and the fanbase has been vocal about their desire to see some serious changes in the team's upper management and ownership. Kelly may be a beacon of hope in the wake of that history, and the fanbase seems to love him already.

The Pirates will begin their next series with the New York Mets on May 12, with the first pitch set for 7:10 p.m.

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