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Pirates' Don Kelly gets the kind of advice from AJ Hinch you can’t find in a playbook

ByEmma Lingan|
May 30, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) yells at umpire Edward Jimenez (75) during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
May 30, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) yells at umpire Edward Jimenez (75) during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

For Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly, the team's visit to Detroit this week isn't just another road trip. It's a homecoming to the ballpark where he became a fan favorite and cult hero more than a decade ago, and it's a reunion with a mentor who helped launch his coaching career.

As a player, Kelly spent six of his nine Major League seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 2009-14. He appeared at every position but shortstop and never hit above .250, but his propensity to come up clutch in big moments made the Tigers faithful fall in love with him.

The legend of "Donnie Kelly, baby" is still remembered fondly in Detroit, but his Tigers connections don't end there.

Kelly's first Major League coaching job was on the staff of then-Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who is now the skipper in Detroit.

Pirates' Don Kelly gets the kind of advice from AJ Hinch you can’t find in a playbook

Since Kelly took over in Pittsburgh last month after Derek Shelton was fired, the Pirates have gone 17-19 and are playing better than they were earlier in the year. Still, the team has much to overcome – including plenty of things that aren't under the manager's control – and Kelly has much to learn.

When asked during his pregame media availability on Tuesday if Hinch had shared any advice with him since he stepped into his new role in Pittsburgh, Kelly grinned and quipped, "After I got thrown out a few times, he called me and said I should probably stay in the game." 

Indeed, Kelly – who never got ejected from a game as a player, mind you – has had some moments of frustration since taking over as manager in Pittsburgh. He got tossed in just his second game on the job, and he has since been thrown out of two more. Hinch, on the other hand, has yet to be ejected this season.

Here's hoping that Kelly can keep his cool for the remainder of the series as the Pirates seek to mount a comeback over the best team in baseball after a 7-3 drubbing in Tuesday's game.

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