Jim Leyland’s advice is helping Don Kelly set tone for Pirates

Don Kelly did great work with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025 after taking over for Derek Shelton, piloting the team to a 59-65 finish following an abysmal 12-26 start. That earned the longtime bench coach the full-time manager gig with the franchise, which is now coming with increased expectations after the team's active offseason.

Thus, Kelly, a first-time skipper, is turning to one of the best coaches in Pirates history for some advice: Jim Leyland. A Hall of Fame manager, Leyland spent 11 years coaching the Pirates, winning two Manager of the Year awards with the team. He was also the manager of the Detroit Tigers when Kelly was playing there from 2009-13.

On an appearance on Foul Territory, Kelly relayed one of the best pieces of sage advice that Leyland had ever bestowed upon him: "If you tell them the truth, they're going to hate you for a day. If you lie to them, they're going to hate you forever."

Don Kelly's transparency should serve Pirates well as team eyes return to playoffs

Given how many new faces there are on both the roster and coaching staff, it's a positive sign that Kelly is already preaching transparency ahead of his first full season on the job.

It's not like Shelton was a poor communicator — plenty of his players have lauded his leadership style — but whatever message he was delivering to the locker room had clearly wore thin by the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh. Kelly got far more out of the same talent after taking over in 2025, hence why he got an extension prior to the offseason.

The new infusion of talent on the roster will make the team better, but it'll also make for a bit of a headache for Kelly. How will José Urquidy respond if he's the one demoted when Jared Jones returns? Ditto for shortstop Nick Gonzales, though in his case the much-anticipated debut of Konnor Griffin may be just weeks (or days) away. Those conversations aren't easy to have, especially with long-tenured members of the organization.

Such situations are exactly why Kelly's playing experience are so crucial. He knows what it's like to walk into the ballpark every day without consistent playing time, having served as the Tigers' primary utility man during the competitive stretch in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

After building up some momentum down the stretch of the 2025 season, Kelly has already establlished himself as a respectable coach. If he can successfully navigate the ups and downs of a team trying to break free from an unceasing rebuild, he'll be on his way to following in the footsteps of his former manager.