Don Kelly’s first ejection as manager immediately forces Pirates to scramble

When the Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton, they looked like an absolutely defeated team. This was a roster that was put together using the change from Bob Nutting's couch, but it wasn't like Shelton had helped the cause much.

In deciding to give Don Kelly a shot at the job, the Pirates were hoping that he would bring some much needed energy.

Well, Kelly did win his first game as manager against the Braves, so maybe this was the change Pittsburgh needed.

However, Kelly's ascension from the bench coach role has created quite the short-term problem for the Pirates after he got ejected in his second game. It was unclear, in the resulting scrum, who'd be in charge the rest of the game.

Don Kelly got ejected in his second game managing Pirates without a second-in-command

First, this was a solid first ejection for Kelly. He made himself heard from the dugout about the strike zone loud enough to get the umpire's attention. Then, he quickly jogged out of the dugout once he got tossed and made sure to get his money's worth. It wasn't a full-on, Lou Piniella-level meltdown, but still a strong first effort.

As for who would now be in charge of the Pirates, it was decidedly unclear in the immediate aftermath. This isn't too much of a problem, as decisions can be communal, allowing the remaining coaches to decide who is going out to make any changes. Managing the bullpen the rest of the way in a close game could get interesting, but any of the coaches in there would make roughly the same decisions. In the end, third base coach Mike Rabelo got the nod.

One can hope that Kelly showing some emotion and standing up for his guys can spark something. With the Pirates down 2-1 after six innings, letting the umpires know that he isn't going to put up with disrespect and trying to fire his guys up certainly can't hurt. If nothing else, we can say with certainty that he didn't waste any time trying.

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