For Pirates’ Don Kelly, a Detroit homecoming doubles as a matchup with a mentor

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DETROIT — Here inside the ballpark where he became a cult hero, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly sat on a dugout bench and chuckled.

“After I got thrown out a few times,” Kelly said, “he called me and said I should probably stay in the game.”

The “he” Kelly was referring to? Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who gave Kelly his first coaching job with the Houston Astros. Kelly’s return to Detroit — his first one as a big-league manager — and his latest reunion with Hinch made for eventful pregame banter.

“I’ll put my serious face on,” Hinch joked, “and say I hope we make it a miserable three days back in Detroit.”

More than a decade since Kelly last played as a Tiger, the wiry utilityman remains a Detroit fan fixation. There are memes and clips commemorating Kelly’s unique brand of legend. He was a do-it-all machine who played every position except shortstop in his Tigers career. He was a negative-WAR career player who never hit above .250. But he hit a first-inning home run against the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS. The next year, he had a walk-off sac fly to beat the Athletics in another ALDS matchup. Longtime radio broadcaster Jim Price coined the phrase “Donnie Kelly, baby,” and custom jerseys with “DKB” stitched on the back still pop up at Comerica Park every so often.

Beat me to the meme RT @blessyouboys RT @InvertedWAR: You can’t stop Don Kelly pic.twitter.com/DCUGlSAP1u

— Bless You Boys (@blessyouboys) July 9, 2014

What might have started as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Kelly’s pedestrian abilities became lasting admiration for Kelly’s career. Jim Leyland loved the way he played the game. And in some ways, Kelly embodies much of what makes this current Tigers team — one with first-place status and the best record in the American League — tick. If Kelly played today, perhaps he could be Hinch’s Zach McKinstry or something similar on a roster that prioritizes matchups and versatility.

Instead, Kelly is deep into his coaching career, now taking on the most difficult task of righting the haphazard ship that is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kelly, previously the club’s bench coach, ascended to manager after the Pirates fired Derek Shelton on May 8. From afar, Hinch battled conflicting emotions. Shelton was one of his closest friends in the small managerial world. Kelly was also a protege.

“I think he was taking steps toward this position from the minute that he said yes to join my staff and then ultimately get to Pittsburgh,” Hinch said. “The players are responding to him because he’s a players-first guy. He is intellectually curious, which will lead him down so many good parts of this job that are required to get the most out of your players. Happy for him, and I know he’ll adjust well in this job.”

Since Kelly’s promotion, the Pirates are 17-19, playing better, pitching well and still have much to overcome. Hinch, on some levels, can relate to the challenge of taking over a team midseason. He was only 34 when he was first promoted midseason from farm director to manage a struggling Arizona Diamondbacks squad. If Kelly has an advantage, Hinch did not; it is the fact he was already roaming the dugout, already in these meetings, already entrenched with these Pirates players.

“The relationships are already fully built,” Hinch said, “albeit different now that he’s making the decision on when to take pitchers out or when to pinch hit or when to play guys. That dynamic changes a little bit with your players. But a lot of the things they were trying to calm down with their team, he was in with them, so he knew exactly what the room temperature was with that team when he took over.”

Since stepping into the manager’s chair, Kelly has had his moments of frustration. He was ejected from his second game as skipper. He has already been tossed from three contests; hence, that playful advice from Hinch, who has yet to be ejected this season.

“I never got thrown out as a player,” Kelly said. “I maybe got close a couple times but stopped. Really, having the players’ backs, I want them to stay in the game, so when those things happen, I want to take the lead on that.”

Tuesday in Detroit, Kelly slapped hands with old teammate Andy Dirks. He chatted with other past acquaintances. He talked about all he learned from Leyland, about how Detroit can still feel like a second home.

“Except for the games we play them, I’m always pulling for the Tigers,” he said.

Welcome back to Detroit, Don Kelly! The Tigers paid tribute to their former utility man, who returns to Comerica Park as the Pirates manager pic.twitter.com/8pJlS9MJn2

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 17, 2025

Before the first pitch, the Tigers displayed a message welcoming Kelly back to Detroit on the video board. He greeted Hinch at home plate with a handshake that turned into something closer to a bro hug.

“The way he manages the day-to-day and how he communicates with everybody around him and the detail he goes through to prepare and be ready for a series is unmatched,” Kelly said of Hinch.

Hinch and Kelly text every week, but their conversations have been quieter in the lead-up to this series. Sure enough, a warm homecoming slowly morphed into a rude welcome back. The Tigers trounced the Pirates 7-3. Javier Báez continued his remarkable comeback season, blasting two homers to left field. The Tigers and Pirates play two more times this week.

Kelly might be managing the visiting team, but he’s still cherished in Detroit.

“Everybody loves him,” Hinch said. “I’ve been fortunate to be around him a lot, and I’m really proud of how he’s taken to coaching and now managing and everything he brings to the table. He’s a model of consistency as a human.”

(Photo: Duane Burleson / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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