New Pirates manager Derek Shelton unafraid of fans' expectations

When Derek Shelton was a college and minor league catcher, he was not afraid of home-plate collisions.

So handling Pittsburgh Pirates fans’ dissatisfaction with the recent past is an issue he said he’s willing to confront.

Shelton, 49, was introduced Wednesday as the 41st manager in Pirates history, but the first since 2011 not named Clint Hurdle.

When he was asked if there is a timetable for returning the Pirates to prominence after a 93-loss season and four years in a row without a playoff berth, he said it’s too early to get specific, but he’s willing to embrace the expectations.

“The timetable is something as we build our roster and work through we are going to have a better idea of,” he said. “Answering that Dec. 4 is going to be a little tougher than when we get to Bradenton (in spring training) and start to move forward.”

But he did say he wants to change the culture on a team that endured repeated clubhouse strife last season.

“(Fans) should expect that we’re going to have a team that’s going to be accountable, a group that’s going to have fun,” he said. “We’re developing a new culture for Pittsburgh baseball, and I’m excited about it.

“Again, regardless of what team it is here, (fans) are passionate about it. Expectations are awesome. When you have a market where the expectations are (high), you want to play meaningful games in October and later. I’m all in on that.

“That’s why we both signed up to be here,” he said, referencing new Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.

Shelton developed a relationship with Cherington when both men were with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017. The Pirates GM was vice president of baseball operations, and Shelton was quality control coach before his two-year stint as the Minnesota Twins bench coach.

Cherington said he set three criteria for his new manager.

• “I was looking for someone who would help lead an elite coaching environment at the major league level,” he said. “Derek has been in those environments very recently.

“He has incredible passion for players, for coaching, for use of information, for use of all of the various expertises that you need to tap into to create that environment.”

• “Secondly, I was looking for someone who can be a leader with us in baseball operations, help me be better, challenge us in good ways. I’m confident Derek’s experience, his intellect, his curiosity will help all of baseball operations be better.”

• “Third, we were looking for someone who just loves learning every day and gets up every day looking to learn and is curious in finding ways to get better. I’ve known Derek for 15 years, better the last three years, and that’s what he’s been doing.”

Cherington said while talking to players and other baseball people who worked with Shelton, he universally was described as “someone who can connect with all kinds of different people.”

Shelton said he decided he wanted the job after meeting with Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and president Travis Williams.

“It was a Sunday morning when I sat down with Bob and Travis,” he said. “You feel their passion for the organization, their passion for this city and it really got me excited.

“It got me excited about wanting to be here. I told them at the end of the interview, ‘This is really exciting. I’m hoping I’m your guy because I want to be part of this, be part of building this forward.’

“At the forefront, I didn’t want to be here, but the more I started to dig into it, I thought it was a really good fit for me. I thought it was a really good fit for the Pirates. It was something I wanted to do.”

Shelton was joined at the news conference at PNC Park by his wife, Alison, and three children, Jackson, Isabella and Gianna, and parents Ron and Kathy. Jackson plays infield at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., and Ron coached high school baseball and basketball for several years in Illinois.

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