Pirates Manager Don Kelly Returns To ‘Second Home’ To Face Former Team

This week’s series against the Detroit Tigers has a bit more meaning than the typical interleague matchup for Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly.

After beginning his playing career in Pittsburgh, Kelly spent six of his last eight seasons in Detroit. The utilityman played 544 of his 584 career games for the Tigers.

On Tuesday, Kelly managed against his former team for the first time. Following Wednesday’s rainout, they’ll finish the series with a Thursday doubleheader at Comerica Park.

Kelly still has a soft spot for the Tigers, especially since he has another connection to the organization. He worked as the Houston Astros’ first-base coach for A.J. Hinch, currently Detroit’s manager.

“I always appreciate A.J. giving me that first opportunity in Houston,” Kelly said, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. “With this being the second home in Detroit, outside of the games that we play them, [I’m] always pulling for the Tigers.”

Despite his .637 OPS, Detroit embraced Kelly as a fan favorite.

“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. “I hope that I did that, and that’s what my goal was.”

Kelly participated in four straight postseasons for Detroit, including the 2012 World Series. The Tigers then went nine consecutive years without a playoff appearance before Hinch steered them back last year, and they enter Thursday’s doubleheader with a nine-game lead in the American League Central.

Meanwhile, Kelly is looking to lead Pittsburgh back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

“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.”

Hinch hopes Kelly succeeds as Pittsburgh’s skipper, but not on Thursday. To the disappointment of many fans, Kelly and Hinch didn’t take Mother Nature’s hint and create a head-to-head matchup between Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

“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.”

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