Pirates/MLB category, Page 28
Bucs Beat Q&A: As new Pirates manager, Don Kelly knows ‘the ultimate decision is mine’
How much do you weigh following a script versus making gut decisions? I don’t think you can ever fully script a baseball game. When you’re sitting there and you’re in the heat of the moment, just trying to figure out, for me there are touch points. There’s stuff that can...
Pirates prospect watch: Bethel Park’s Justin Meis emerges as trustworthy bullpen option for Altoona Curve
Prospect Watch Justin Meis Position: Right-handed pitcher Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 175 pounds Level: Double-A Altoona Justin Meis is underway with his third campaign at Double-A Altoona. From the outside looking in, that could be perceived as somewhat ominous with regard to the 25-year-old plateauing in the minor leagues. However, the...
The week ahead: Pirates visit Mets, Phillies for 6-game road swing
The week ahead at Mets 7:10 p.m. Monday (SN PIT) 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SN PIT) 7:10 p.m. Wednesday (SN PIT) • The Mets feature one of baseball’s best pitching staffs. Collectively, the club owned a 2.94 ERA, third-best in MLB, as it wrapped up a three-game road series vs. the...
Pirates farm report for May 9, 2025: Konnor Griffin goes 4 for 4 with 6th homer for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-16) put together a three-run rally in the sixth inning and beat Columbus (Guardians), 3-2. RF Nick Solak (.380) went 3 for 4 with a run scored. DH DJ Stewart (.119) went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and an RBI. 3B Eli Wilson (.385) went...
Pirates win 1st game under new skipper Don Kelly, topping Braves to snap 7-game skid
Friday’s win notwithstanding, the Pittsburgh Pirates still find themselves in a massive early-season hole. Hope remains slim that the Pirates (13-26) are capable of digging themselves out and salvaging something from the campaign. However, for a club one day removed from firing its manager, starting things off with a 3-2...
Fans gather for a peek of famous Skenes card at Dick’s House of Sport in Ross Park Mall
Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods is the proud new owner of the highly sought-after autographed Paul Skenes rookie debut baseball card and wants to share it with everyone, especially Pittsburgh Pirates fans. The 2024 Topps Chrome patch card, purchased at auction for $1.11 million, was delivered Thursday night to Dick’s...
‘Yes, it was a dream’: Don Kelly embraces challenge of managing his hometown Pirates
Don Kelly lived out his childhood fantasy by playing in the major leagues, so he couldn’t help but dare to dream about managing his hometown team while serving as Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach. Kelly’s mind couldn’t help but drift to the times he walked onto the field as he left...
‘Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked’: Pirates react to the firing of Derek Shelton as manager
Pittsburgh Pirates players reacted Friday to the firing of Derek Shelton with more of a sympathetic shrug than surprise, knowing that their poor start to the season had a lot to do with the managerial move. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked,” said Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, the 2024 National League...
Pirates place 1B Enmanuel Valdez on injured list, recall INF/OF Ji Hwan Bae from Triple-A
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed infielder Enmanuel Valdez on the 10-day injured list Friday because of left shoulder inflammation, the club announced. Valdez’s injury designation is retroactive to May 8. In a corresponding move, infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Bae, 25, was on the Pirates’ Opening Day...
Mark Madden: The Pirates can change the manager, but the direction stays the same
The Pittsburgh Pirates fired Derek Shelton. It changes nothing. Relieving Shelton of his managerial duties is just appeasing the mob. A head on a pike. A perceived fresh start. All PR, nothing practical. Not that Shelton didn’t deserve the ax. His .410 winning percentage is third worst among managers with at...
Pirates fire game planning coach Radley Haddad
In addition to relieving manager Derek Shelton of his duties, the Pittsburgh Pirates have fired run prevention and game planning coach Radley Haddad, a source confirmed to TribLive. Haddad, 34, was in his fourth season on staff with the Pirates, having been hired in November of 2021 after spending five...
On Sports: Mike Sullivan introduced as Rangers coach, Derek Shelton’s culpability in Pirates’ woes discussedVideo
In Friday’s “On Sports,” ex-Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was formally introduced as the 38th coach of the New York Rangers. National pundits discussed fired Pirates manager Derek Shelton’s role in the club’s performance this season as well as since he was hired in late 2019. Finally, former Duquesne star Megan...
Pirates farm report for May 8, 2025: DJ Stewart belts grand slam for Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 18-16) only managed three hits, but one of them was a third-inning grand slam for DH DJ Stewart (.094) in a 4-3 win over Columbus (Guardians). It was the fourth homer of the year for Stewart, who went 1 for 3. 2B Nick Solak (.364) went 1 for...
A timeline of Derek Shelton’s tenure as Pirates manager
The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton on Thursday morning, with the team mired in a 12-26 (.316) start. Bench coach Don Kelly now takes over as manager and will debut Friday evening at PNC Park vs. the Atlanta Braves. So ends Shelton’s tenure as Pirates skipper, which began ahead...
‘It certainly starts with me’: Despite firing Derek Shelton, Pirates GM takes responsibility
Ben Cherington has delivered his share of double talk as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his explanation for firing manager Derek Shelton on Thursday was no exception. While severing ties with Shelton, Cherington accepted accountability and responsibility for a 12-26 start and seven-game losing streak that has the...
New Pirates manager Don Kelly held in high esteem by former Point Park coaches
Leadership, commitment, dedication, concern for fellow teammates — those were among the several dozen categories Mark Jackson used to annually evaluate his baseball players at Point Park. It was a straightforward method for assessing the character of his team. In 1999, Jackson returned a veteran squad of players from a...
‘About time’: Pirates fans react to Derek Shelton firing
When Jim Emmerling found out the Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton on Thursday, he was elated. “I’ve been asking for this,” he said. “The last six years have been the worst baseball I can remember.” Shelton was replaced by bench coach Don Kelly as the team languishes in last...
Tim Benz: Pirates made a needed change in firing Shelton, but they didn’t go far enough
Trading Josh Bell on Christmas Eve 2020 was one heckuva news dump by the Pittsburgh Pirates. That was an all-time favorite of mine. But releasing news of a managerial change about 25 minutes after white smoke emerged from the Vatican to announce the election of a new pope is next-level...
Pirates fire Derek Shelton, promote bench coach Don Kelly to manager for rest of 2025
Sitting in last place in the NL Central and with their season spiraling, the Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton on Thursday and named bench coach Don Kelly his successor for the remainder of the 2025 season. Shelton was relieved of his duties following a 5-0 loss to the St....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates manager Derek Shelton has no answers for 7-game losing skid
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a sinking ship whose skipper Derek Shelton seems at a loss when asked for answers about how to reverse course for their offensive ineptitude as they approach the quarter pole. Shelton didn’t even have a message to share with his team. “Right now, that’s what we’re...
Pirates farm report for May 7, 2025: Bubba Chandler gives up 3-run homer in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-16) lost 4-3 to Columbus (Guardians). RHP Bubba Chandler (2-1, 2.25) started and went 2⅔ innings, allowed three runs on five hits, including a three-run home run. He walked four and fanned five to take the loss. RHP Hunter Stratton (4.97) and LHP Randy Labaut (5.06) each struck...
Behind Victor Scott II’s speed, Sonny Gray’s 8 strikeouts, Cardinals sweep Pirates in shutout
The Pittsburgh Pirates started their series in St. Louis on Monday with Oneil Cruz making the fastest throw in the major leagues with a 100 mph strike to get Victor Scott II out at home plate. The Cardinals center fielder showed why he’s one of the fastest players in the...
‘Broken everything’: Kavan Markwood hasn’t watched his fall from Clemente Wall during Pirates game
Kavan Markwood told TribLive on Wednesday he hasn’t watched the video of his 21-foot plunge April 30 from the Clemente Wall to the right field warning track at PNC Park. Markwood fell while celebrating an Andrew McCutchen double. Under treatment at Allegheny General Hospital, he called TribLive before a physical...
Pirates’ offensive woes persist as losing streak reaches 6
On paper, a quality start from Paul Skenes should provide the Pittsburgh Pirates with enough of a boost to come out on top in any given game. However, Tuesday evening in St. Louis, the nosediving Pirates (12-25) demonstrated again that a solid start from Skenes isn’t always sufficient. Skenes (3-4,...
Pirates farm report for May 6, 2025: Spencer Horwitz delivers 2 hits as his rehab stint reaches Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-15) topped Columbus (Guardians), 4-1. RHP Mike Burrows (1-1, 3.18) started and went five innings, giving up one run on a solo home run and yielding two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. RHP Dauri Moreta (0.00) walked one and struck out three in an inning as...
