Former Mt. Lebanon, Point Park star Don Kelly named Pirates bench coach

The Pittsburgh Pirates stayed in town for their bench coach.

Don Kelly was hired to be new manager Derek Shelton’s right-hand man Saturday. Kelly starred at Mt. Lebanon and Point Park and lives in Mars with his wife Carrie — sister of former Pirates second baseman Neil Walker — and their two sons.

“I’m thrilled,” Kelly said. “Growing up in Pittsburgh and being a Pirates fan, making my debut as a player with the Pirates and now becoming the bench coach with them … I couldn’t be more excited.”

The Pirates also announced they retained three members of their 2019 coaching staff: hitting coach Rick Eckstein, third base coach Joey Cora and assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage.

Kelly, 39, spent last season as the Astros first base coach when Houston reached Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Washington Nationals. It was his first year as a coach at the major league level.

“To be able to step into a bench coach is awesome,” he said. “It was a great experience being a first base coach, and I learned a lot. Now, I feel like I’m ready for this challenge.”

Kelly made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2007 and played for the Detroit Tigers (2009-14) and Miami Marlins (2015-16). During his nine-year career as a utility player, he batted .230/.294/.334 with 23 home runs.

Kelly drew high marks for his baseball acumen during his playing days and then spent the 2017 and ‘18 seasons as a professional scout for the Tigers.

The Pirates are coming off their worst season in nearly a decade, finishing last in the National League Central with a 69-93 record. They were 25-48 after the All-Star break, a second-half collapse that led to club president Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle losing their jobs.

Kelly said he was impressed during the interview process with the new regime of president Travis Williams, GM Ben Cherington and Shelton. Kelly feels owner Bob Nutting has put together a management group that can turn the franchise around.

“I don’t think Mr. Nutting could have hired a better guy than Ben, and then Ben got Shelty to be the manager, and he’s going to be great,” Kelly said. “It’s just awesome to be a part of this.

“I really enjoyed being able to get back on the field this year, being around the guys. It’s such a great game, and it’s such a hard game to play. To use the experience that I gained as a player and give it back to the current players … it’s all about the players and however I can help them.”