The Pirates have announced the hiring of Derek Shelton as their next manager, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter) first reported. Shelton had served as the bench coach for the Twins.
Shelton’s hiring represents the first major move for the organization since its front office overhaul. He had been under consideration even before the process that resulted in Ben Cherington taking over the GM seat.
The Minnesota coaching staff has now been fully picked over. Shelton had interviewed for several other openings but had remained unclaimed until the Pittsburgh org resumed its paused managerial search.
Shelton has 15 seasons of experience as a MLB coach. He functioned as the hitting coach for the Indians and Rays before a one-year stint with the Blue Jays. After two seasons of running the Twins’ bench, he’s now ready to take command of the full dugout in Pittsburgh.
Now the Pirates can all learn to hit using the speed hitter
Is this the last team that needed a manager? If so, I’m just glad the Braves were able to keep Ron Washington as their 3rd base coach.
From what I see, that was the last vacancy.
Good decision Pirates.
I’m a Pirates and a Rays fan. He was Tampas hitting coach and ad soon as he was fired and Mottola hired the Rays have improved. Not liking this at all.
I’ll never understand people who are “fans” of two teams.
What about those of us who are just fans of good baseball? Can you comprehend that?
Why is that odd? I mean I could understand if someone was like, “I’m a Yankees and Red Sox fan”, it maybe being a bit strange.
In this case though OP might’ve been a Pirates fan before TB ever existed; or could’ve just moved cities. They play so sparingly, he wouldn’t often have to choose sides.
Exactly. I live just outside of Pittsburgh so obviously i am a pitt fan. I grew up loving Bonds and followed that fandom to San Francisco so have always rooted for them as well. I respect certain teams or people (players, managers etc) such as the Rays. Now if i were in a major market that is capable of spending and competing every year (atleast going without major playoff droughts) then i would spend more time rooting and watching them. Yankee, Boston, Houston, L.A. fans have it lucky. Even if they’re not winning like the Angels or Mets, the opportunity is there with spending. The pirates can win if the right g.m. amd manager bring in a develop the right players. I for one and very excited for these new hiring. Captain Cherington is the perfect fit for a rebuild as he excels in drafting and development as well as returns on trades and small to mid level pickups in FA. Shelton is the hot hand in the industry. I prefer him to any in house options or Kotsay etc by FAR. these moves remind me of what the rays would do, and thats great for this market
Question you say you are from Pittsburgh. If you are from the Burgh, you would not refer to it as Pitt. That is the school not the city. It is the Burgh, or abbreviated Pgh if you are from here….. Just saying….
The rest of what you posted I agree with !
As a kid in the early ‘60’s I decided to root not only for my hometown Cardinals but the Orioles as well. Back then there was little chance your teams in either league (unless you decided to root for the Yankees) would play each other. I have been able to see great teams over the years for both teams and have not regretted the decision. (And I started rooting for the O’s long before they won the Series in ‘66.) Of course I’ve seen many Cardinal games every year but also made the trip to either Chicago or Kansas City (including this year, so I can’t be considered a front runner) to see them in person. My son has embraced both teams as well and we took his son to see his first O’s game this year.
@dynamite when I was a wee little boy I was a Braves and Yankees fan but my grandfather made me choose one because you can’t like two teams it isn’t natural. That type of nonsense is for the millennials and less serious fans.
I find its usually a fan of one and like another a little more than the rest of the league.. I’m a pirates fan but i also like the A’s from when the Bash Brothers where a thing..
exactly
I grew up watching the Indians. I moved to Saint Louis. unless the Indians were on a national broadcast I couldn’t watch them. I watched the Cardinals. I’m a die hard Indians fan and really love watching the Cardinals.
I’ll never understand why people are so close minded
Very simple. Born and raised in Pittsburgh and moved to Tampa before the Rays showed up in 1998. I have a NL team and an AL team but when they play each other it’s go Buccos. Hope that helps you understand.
St. Louis is referred many ways, not just one. STL, The Lou, and Sheepleville. So why does Pittsburgh just, the Burgh?
I LOVED the A’s, but my favorite team was wherever Jose Canseco was after the trade to the Rangers! Still followed the A’s though.
just the way it is. he is correct as Pitt refers to college sports here in the burgh.
Well maybe he will only be the manager and not the hitting coach…
The word here is poor communication skills with his players unlike Cash who has unreal communication skills. Just an informed opinion.
Can we now change the owner!!!
The pythagorean theorem told the Pirates to hire Shelton. Right, mathletes?
ok boomer, we get it, you are a jock and you hate nerds, your life is an 80s teen comedy, meanwhile the rest of us are living in 2019 trying to tell you its not 1982 anymore and stats have literally always been around since day 1.
Haha haha
Strike Four
True stats have always been around but now there being Mis-used to manipulate or validate an opinion on a player. I worked for 3 professional teams and can tell you from my experience analytics guys don’t have a clue!!
Cleaning the office of Frontier league teams isnt really working for 3 professional teams
Thats why i am an anayltical detective. Helps with the clues 😉
i like how “they youngins” try to use “boomer” as an insult..
advanced stats are nice complement to traditional scouting and to help find something that isn’t right with a player and to work to their strengths or improve weaknesses all that jazz.pretty cool stuff.
But sometimes they get screwed by people who are pencil pushers that didn’t watch baseball until they got a job in baseball and haven’t stepped foot on a ballfield since they got hit by a pitch in Tee Ball. Even us non-boomers should watch out and double check if something doesn’t sound quite right.
Damn, Minnesota going to lose it’s entire coaching staff.
garbage cans at walmart are only like 10 bucks.
+1
Those are from the Astros staff, not Minnesota’s.
Karma!! That’s what you get for heisting our bench coach Rocco. Ok …..I feel better now.
I too think it was a good hire. Though he has not managed he has climbed the coaching latter amd has plenty of coaching experience inclucing bench coach and he always seemed to get high marks on communication skills so that all my gel into a good manager.
How many steps are on that “latter?”
You’re not clever for clowning on what was obviously a typo. Or should I say your not clever and see what hilarity you come up with from that?
You’re*
More proof that anyone can manage a baseball team.
Yeah, people who have dedicated their entire lives to the game and have been hired for many jobs within the game = “anyone”
Youre a clown, your opinions are beyond trash, grow up.
I don’t know whether to tell you to take a nap or take a Pamprin?
Geritol?
Don’t sweat it look at Dodgers they win with Roberts?
My Grandmother would win coaching the Dodgers
my Grandfather did …. *Tommy Lasorda
Mine would too…and she is no longer alive.
She’d know to avoid using Joe Kelly in any high-leverage situations.
He was just downright awful as the Rays hitting coach.
First question in the interview was: Would you consider working for minimum wage? Answer – yes
You are hired
Har har…. very original.
Good thing he won’t be our hitting coach then.
Is that why they kept him in the job for 7 years?
Luckily he was hired as manager not hitting coach. Maybe BC and he can find other decent coaches to round out the staff. Hitting coach, pitching coach etc…
Yep….he sure was. No communication skills.
Bob Nutting said: “First guy to accept $15/hour plus a few expired gift cards gets the gig”.
After only two months of interviews, Shelton accepts.
Lame joke keeps getting more lame each time someone drags it out……smh……
Not as lame as their “splash” free agent signing which is going to be to re-sign Lonnie Chisenhall on a non-guaranteed minors deal with an invite to Spring Training.
Danny Salazar will also be brought in to anchor the rotation.
Well, no more Huntington around to make those kinds of deals. We shall see what kind of players Cherington brings in.
Try following the A’s on here, there’s some clown who apparently doesnt even like them, who posts “and their fans – ALL TWO OF THEM” like, relentlessly, he must have like 1000 posts with that pathetic excuse for a joke in it – boomers need to be banned from the internet, period.
Hey, We old guys are not all bad! Many of us actually understand the game and the business.
Well this is your second “boomer” joke on this very thread, so that excessive spreading of a lame joke must be your thing too.
It illustrates a point though. This is another rich team (yes, they’re all rich) with a beautiful taxpayer-funded park that won’t spend money.
Like Mets fans can really talk about finances…. how many more years of the ghost?
Gift cards for Primanti’s? Done!
Nutting’s not springing for Primanti’s. A 5-pack of $25 Sheetz gift cards (not valid in WV, MD, or OH; minimum $50 purchase required to use. Not valid on gasoline or food purchases.)
Maybe the Mets will send the Pirates a million a year for Shelton to not manage like they give Bonilla a mil a year
Those jokes are getting old. Clint Hurdle was paid $3 million a year to chew wads of gum and scream and where did that get the Pirates?
Couldn’t hire the beer man in section 210 wanted too much money
Won’t matter in the least unless Bennie C can bring in some good ballplayers, and Nickels McNutting will pay for them.
Poor Derek!
Good luck!
You mean poor Pirates.
“Unclaimed”? Did the Twins put their coaches on waivers?
Man. Twins got stripped…
Can we get ownership change of the Pirates while we are planning for success?
Not surprised. Think he was the Pirates choice for a while.
Not sure how this is a great departure from Clint other than the fact Clint got stale. Espada. Quartaro just seemed like a fresher approach. Oh well, have to give the guy a chance
Guys who coached in the majors for a long time are usually a pretty safe bet to be a decent manager. Jimmy Leyland got his feet wet that same way.
Derek Shelton already had those in the industry talking up his communication skills and managing wisdom. It’s a safe pick.
I hope he succeeds very well with this new regime in place.
Now if only Nickels McNutting (Liked it LeeFieux, Brilliant name! Stole it, hope you don’t mind!) will spend some of his huge profits on better player personnel for change, this could be the start of something big.
The rich guy will keep on keeping his profits, I’m afraid.
Good comment, Henry. Hope you’re right
He seems to be a Jim Tracey-style coaching. That did well for the Pirates years ago
Sarcasm hitting home there.
Pirate fan since 1965 when I saw Clemente in Candlestick. Love watching the game but only fan to one team. 16 months ago in the chase and made Archer trade, totally ok with it except for Baz, too soon. Loved Hurdle and Searage but time had come for a change. I like this move with new GM and Manager, think hitting with Eckstein is much improved as he is quite familiar with new dynamics being applied. Hoping Shelton can hire a pitching coach capable of the same. Were never going to keep Cole with Boras guiding him and had to trade(same may follow with Bell). Sadly not the case with Charlie Morton, never able to tap his potential achieved with Astros and Rays. Pirates out of step last couple of years with serious arm injuries taking place. Rebuild of minor league system now needed, also need Hayes at 3rd soon. and Pitching depth has taken a hit too and will be hard to shore up as a small market team. Yet as gloomy as things might seem I am confident “Rebuild” can be achieved with a solid managerial core now being put in place. Will enjoy watching future unfold, hoping for the best!.
I enjoyed this post. Well said. Simultaneously realistic and optimistic.
I don’t know if you just never saw enough of Meadows or felt that the 99 mph heater of Glasnow wasn’t worth the coaching effort—let alone Baz being thrown in— but I tend to laugh when someone says they were ok with this trade. I go back to Forbes Field days, and this was an all time worst
My beef with the trade comes with the idea that it reflected how scattershot this FO was with goals. You dump Cole, Morton, Cutch, Walker, as the idea seems to be to build the young talent, and then you trade arguably your 3 biggest pieces to make a run at a wild card spot? Seriously?
Even had Archer won 10 games down the stretch, this was beyond mystifying.
Watched enough of them with Pirates to see Glasnow throw typical 100 pitches over 4 innings with 6 strikeouts and 4-5 walks and 5 run ERA. Now admits he was tipping pitches, may be able to turn things around but last 2 games vs. Astros showed return to form. Meadows still struggling with breaking ball, against better pitching fed breaking balls 6-7 innings. Then when down in later innings change of pace to fastballs confused him. Meadows did well against poor pitching. Kind of like an NFL quarterback down 28 racking up completions and yards after game is out of hand.
Yeah, agreed, but they were kids. Just where is player development with the Pirates. Meadows showed potential from the start—anyone could see that. But since apparently no one could coach it, the idea was to dump it? Same with Glasnow. Always seemed like his problem was in his head
Amazing now that only Keller shows big league promise and there’s no immediate starting pitching help on the horizon. Even more amazing that there is no immediate outfield stud in the system.
Just how do you dump veterans AND your minor league top tier, and I haven’t even addressed Baz? Incredible. You wouldn’t run a company like this, but FO is hoping baseball fans just don’t notice?
The team has the infielders here and in the minors. I try to imagine an OF with Meadows, Reynolds and Marte. I try to contemplate a pitching staff of Williams, Musgrove, Taillon, Keller and Glasnow, if not Kuhl and Brault
And I’m a nobody.
Outrageously shortsighted and emblematic of the lack of a plan from the previous FO
This will continue to happen without a salary cap. The Luxury Tax is a joke. Why does every other successful sport have a cap and MLB doesn’t? Seems like system caterers to lobsidded spending. Is every Team playing with same peramitors? Ask yourself why has MLB not negotiated successfully with players union on a cap? How many Teams have minimal chance to compete for World Series on Opening Day 2020. If your in a market that spends without penalty or are a player agent, your happy with the way the system is rigged today. The have’s and have not’s. Small Market Teams selling for billions so, owners could care less about being competitive. The small markets get welfare checks from the larger markets and the beat goes on!
Here’s what I have to say about the recent Pirate moves…
Let’s go Pens.
I use to pitch to Derek in high school and his Dad was my coach in high school the whole family is in to baseball and are very good people and good at what they do . I have all the faith in the world that he will make a difference while he’s there . Congratulations Derek and even know I’m a Cubs fan I’ll be rooting for ya ( when your not playing the cubs ) lol
Nice!
We now know who to contact for free Pirates tickets.