The Pirates have extended the contract of manager Derek Shelton, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic. The terms of the deal are not yet known.
The Bucs are off to a hot start to the season, sitting at 14-7 entering play Saturday, good for second place in the NL Central as they look to emerge from a lengthy rebuild. The 52-year-old skipper has overseen plenty of lean years in Pittsburgh, and so his career managerial record of 156-249 with the Pirates is not necessarily a reflection on his management.
It’s always challenging to assess the performance of a manager when the team is deep in a rebuild and focused more on the prospects in its minor league system than the big league roster. As such, the back-to-back 100-loss seasons Shelton oversaw likely wouldn’t have been much different with another manager at the helm. Evidently, the franchise is comfortable with the direction they’re in with Shelton at the helm. While 21 games is a small sample size, the Pirates were more aggressive than the past in free agency this winter and it won’t hurt that Shelton’s team is getting results. Here’s what GM Ben Cherington had to say to The Athletic last year on Shelton:
“I love working with Shelty and this staff. They work their tails off every day and care so much about getting this right. I’m so confident at the level of effort this staff puts in and I’m looking forward to this group benefiting from the fruits of their labor. I think they will as our roster matures and gets stronger.”
Shelton was hired by the Pirates after a tumultuous 2019 season which saw the team lose 93 games, deal with clubhouse problems and ultimately dismiss general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle. Cherington and Shelton were brought in to oversee bringing the club back to relevance, and while the past three seasons have been a difficult watch, it does appear that the team is close to turning a corner.
Prior to joining the Pirates, Shelton had served as the Twins’ bench coach. He had interviewed for a number of other managerial openings, but the Pirates were the first to hand him the top job.
Not my favorite move, but also not unhappy about it either.
That’s about exactly my reaction. I question many of his decisions, but the players seem to love him and play hard for him, and they need the continuity now that they’re winning.
Very well stated and sums up my thoughts nicely. Seems like a nice guy, a patient guy—he has to be—but boy, he has some different ideas when it comes to strategies and lineups.
So when the Pirates crater later then will Nutting call Backsies?
I dunno, Mike. I don’t want to be a killjoy and just want to enjoy the ride, however short it might be.
I still say 75 wins is the high water mark and if they do that, it’s a step in the right direction and Shelton deserves some credit
Negative vibes….this might be the year of a couple years run…I like what I see of the pitching and the blend of youth and veterans.
I also see Keller blossoming into a star
Agree. The pitching has been key and a nice surprise. With Keller, Oviedo and Contreras, they have the makings of a nice three for the foreseeable future and it only gets better if Brubaker comes back strong and Priester or Burrows (who’s also out) make strides
No negative waves, Oddball
Simple realism. With Cruz out, they’re going to need guys like Joe, Suwinski and Hayes to find some consistency over the long haul, and for vets like Cutch and Santana to defy the clock
I have to thank Yankees fans for making me a Blue Jays and Rays fan
Keller has a tendency of reaching 90+ pitches by the 6th inning and wears down easily as he approaches that number of pitches
You do realize you’ve downgraded right?
You’re almost worth putting on ignore Captain Drudge
I’m not saying Shelton isn’t good by any measure, I just think waiting until closer to June/July makes more sense if they can keep up pace.
It’s like the Reynolds deal, don’t make the deal until you have to.
Mac- It was done at the right time.It is not good to have a manager on an expiring deal.Shelton seems to be getting better and does not have a big ego.He will need to improve if the Pirates become a good team.They needed to take advantage of their good record when they could to make an announcement like this one.
The Key is the length day of the extension.If it is one or two years then I think it makes sense.I also think that his pay should significantly go up if it is now $1M a year.It should at least be double or triple that amount.
For the first time since 2018 the Pirates Have hope that they can eventually compete.The manager is an important part of that process.
Every manager makes weird or unorthodox decisions. Tony LaRossa was famous for stuff like that. Even cost them a few World Series
I love it. A + endorsement.
Hello Pirates. Maybe its time for learning. Good GM and good coach makes great team. A winner? A champion, maybe. But, lets not forget, pirates had a time with both. And they did AJ Burnett type recoveries and Hutch type developers. And just a winner, not a champion. But that’s all you can want, expect. Because baseball is sooo crazy! So we love it, a lot!
what
Hey at least Bryan Reynolds extension has been finalized. Smh.
And at least the Yankees are still signing oft injured players to long term contracts while not making it to the WS with $200 million dollar payrolls
@TheMan 3- please let’s stop pretending the Pirates are going to be contenders anytime soon.
Captain Judge, please stop pretending that the Yankees don’t waste money on over the hill players and those who spend more time on the IL then the active roster
@NotTheman 3- stop pretending your the man when your not. You really think the Bucs are sniffing for the playoffs this season. A loser fan rooting for a loser team, all makes sense now. Thanks for clarifying.
I didn’t choose my name here Captain Ahab, this site did
And I’d rather root for a perennial loser than a team that spends hundreds of millions of dollars in player salaries then never reaches the World Series for their efforts
I just was notified that his address has been changed to Corporal as he has been demoted for making all of the stupid posts on this site.
Wow can you imagine a team out there ACTUALLY trying to win? Smh
CaptJ- And you still adore Reynolds and want to give some of your “blue chip” prospects for him.
Only one championship this century is pitiful for a team with so much money.
pitiful or laughable
I choose the latter
@TheMan 3- No laughable, are the Pirates believing that Bryan Reynolds really wants to stay in Pittsburgh. Why hasn’t he signed an extension yet? Interesting.
@Mendoza- face it the best thing for Reynolds is to get traded anywhere, and the worst thing for him, is to stay with the “pretend contenders” in Pittsburgh. Set him free!
I’d agree only if this was your standard Pirates start on the oblivion express, Cap. That is, if they were on the trek a team like the Reds are now
You may likely be right; this is just a short feel-good story for Pittsburghers and MLB, in general, but as is, there should be no thought of moving Reynolds now
I’m sure Reynolds himself has to be heartened by the start, by the evolution of pitchers and both the promise of younger players mixed with the leadership of guys like Cutch and Santana
So yeah. I do believe he’d like to stay
But should they do a quick 180 degree turn south for a protracted period, then maybe the issue becomes a daily MLBTR article idea again
Actually, according to an article in the NY Post, Reynolds is on record of preferring to stay in Pittsburgh than going to a major metropolitan location.
In other words, he doesn’t want to play for the Yankees
What a slap in the face, huh?
I vividly remember you predicting Reynolds would be traded before the 2023 season started
You’ve never been correct about anything Brian Reynolds related
What does it feel like to be wrong all the time Cpt Judge?
@NotTheMan 3- sounds like you not being able to handle NY. I know you probably get all frightened also. Breaking News: Bryan Reynolds can be traded anywhere without his consent. You would think you would know that, right??? Smh
@NotTheMan 3- I never predicted anything about Bryan Reynolds, or the garbage team you root for. Maybe in the next life you can cheer on a team that can be competitive. Lots of luck! I’m sure the extension for Reynolds is coming? Lolololololol!!!
Capt- I still do not know why you say “best”.The Yankees are not the only team who wants him.He is not going to be traded unless the Pirates get several good young starting pitchers and there are only a few teams who could provide them unless a three team trade was made..You keep on saying the same thing and try to rile up Pirate fans but you end up getting stung by a bunch of hornets.
I’m aware of this, Captain Ahab but also know that when Free Agency arrives he wouldn’t be signing with the team that can’t win a championship despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on players salaries
@Mendoza- now you are pretending that Pirates don’t have any interest in Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, Luis Gil/Drew Thorpe and Clayton Beeter? Sounds like the makings of a deal to me. It certainly helps both teams. I despise the Cardinals. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Pirates become better. Lmk
@NotTheMan 3- the Yankees are a lot closer to winning a championship then you think. They only have one team really in their way: the Trashtro’s. Bryan Reynolds could be one or two of those missing pieces to beating them. By all means set the man free!
a lot closer? Until they win one during the current decade, they will still be remembered for spending hundreds of millions of dollars for nothing
Prove me wrong, Corporal Judge, and because you lack any credibility, your word won’t make the grade
@NotTheMan 3- prove you wrong? Nah, you do that all by yourself. No worries that all speaks for itself. Good day!
Judg-Quite frankly,I would not know any of these guys even if I stepped on them.I will take your word that they are highly rated prospects.However,what you do not seem to understand is that no matter how highly rated they are they are suspects until they perform at the ML level.During the previous GM’s era when the Pirates had a decent team they would trade for near ready ML players or ones with a year of ML experience.Now,as you have so very nicely pointed out,as the Pirates have been terrible for 3 1/2 years,they gotten back lower level prospects,many of which have not turned out well.
The Pirates need starting pitching,as all teams do,but a few teams like the Dodgers and Rays seem to be able to produce it in house.I am not aware that the Yankees have that in abundance,and it takes three,because one does not pan out and one gets a serious injury.
What you also do not understand is Reynolds is not the type of person who wants to play in New York.Not everyone can be successful there because it is 24-7 scrutiny.
I suggest that you elect another similar player to Reynolds and jump on that team’s site threads.If it was going to happen it would have happened by now.
@Mendoza- I get it. Reynolds just might not be a NY type of guy or player. One thing I will tell you if he wins here in NY, then nothing is better. And the fans would love him here to if he succeeds. Paul O’Neill was a good player In Cincinnati and he was also from there, he came to NY and he became a better player. (A legend) That said everyone’s make up is different. So you really never know until the player comes here. A bad example is Sonny Gray who couldn’t pitch in NY. He’s a good pitcher, just not a NY pitcher or a NY type of guy, but I expect the Yankees to feast on him tonight in Minnesota. So we’ll see what happens later. Poor Sonny! Lol!
Judg-A good response.
You have been reinstated to Captain.
You will become a colonel if you stop giving troll like comments to small market team threads.
Sonny Gray is a good pitcher.You are aware that New York is a tough place to be in.Some of these guys are from small towns and Peoria to them is the big city.
I live near Philadelphia but the fans here even booed Dr J in his last playoff series.
They used to boo Mike Schmidt who was the greatest third baseman of all time.
I do believe what you said about Paul O’Neill and NY fans in general.
Probably before your time but Ed Whitson was the original Sonny Gray.
NY in many respects is a great city but unless one is from a big city it can be fairly awesome.
@Mendoza- No a lot older then you think. In my mid-40’s I remember Ed Whitson really well. Add a few more to that list Javier Vasquez, Jeff Weaver, Jose Contreras, Ted Lilly, Kevin Brown, and Lance Lynn. So you are correct with your statements. I really wonder if Bryan Reynolds could perform in NY? If he could it’s definitely one more step in beating Houston. I’m looking for .285 27 87 and to play a good defense in left field, and to steal like 10-15 bases yearly. The Yankee prospects are not as bad as you think. The Pirates want Dominguez and Peraza, which I understand. Stanton is going to just keep on getting hurt every year. Smh
AJ Burnett who played for the Yankees before being traded to the Pirates, welcomed that trade because he said it was difficult playing in that town
After leaving the Bucs to sign with the Phillies because he wanted to be closer to his home in Maryland realized that was a mistake and subsequently asked the Phillies to terminate his contract so he could play one more season with the Pirates before retiring
New York isn’t exactly everyone’s choice to play in
Judg-I have no knowledge of any prospects except the Pirates and they are running out of them.
Inasmuch as it better to be quiet and be thought stupid than to talk and remove all doubt,I do not comment on the prospects of other teams.You know infinitely more than I do.
Your predicted stats would be correct for Reynolds.He may very well play well in New York but he does not seem to want to do so,and how much money can you have anyway.
You are still a young man or by smh’ing too much you would hurt your neck.
I thought it was a bad deal for Stanton in the first place because of the money since he has so many muscles he is getting injured all the time
Stanton! Oh jeesh! Go to games early and watch players warm up. Stanton always never taking stretching seriously. So many muscles, even in the brain, all tight and not ready. Too bad because I think he could have been Sammy Sosa level ding donger.
If he is pulling muscles then what you say is something that should be obvious and management should make him stretch.
Yep. @YourDreamGM called it.
@JasonMackey for the Pgh Post Gazette reported it was all but done about 2-3 weeks ago
I reported it 2-3 years ago. It was obvious he was doing what management asked of him during the rebuild. His awful players fought and never gave up. Players and management love the guy. He will do whatever front office ask of him. Never doubted they wouldn’t give him a chance when trying to contend.
It’s a feel good story not only for Pittsburgh but for MLB. I hope it will continue but truthfully, it will take a continued monumental effort from their pitching staff first and foremost
But good for Shelton. Dream has been beating this drum for some time now and it’s nice to see that there is some reward for progress
It’s not a report if you say it three years in advance, it’s a guess.
@WolvesSufferer Oh wow, thanks for enlightening me. I wasn’t trying to poke fun at the Mackey being first comment. Totally didn’t know the difference between report and guess. Got me a dictionary off ebay coming though.
Included must be 3 hots and a cot at the stadium, plus daily fresh towels….?
Full use of the company greyhound pass.
Nothing like keeping mediocrity
Mediocrity is a huge improvement for the Pirates
How’s that Josh Donaldson contact working out for the Yankees?
Yes and how’s the Stars Of the Yankees staying healthy…
@NotTheMan3- Not bad. Donaldson only has one year on his contract, so what’s your point? Maybe the Pirates can sign him next year, if you want him.
Nothing like leaving terrible alone…
Yeah he sucks so…
You needed to post three separate negative comments?
None of which were witty.
Gbs and Uncle-Please leave the trolls alone.
We need them for entertainment purposes.
Could be worse, they could’ve hired Jayce Tingler…
he really can’t be judged with the roster the past 3 years. probably a fair move.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Pirates could ever lure a manager like Bud Black to Pittsburgh.
Shelton doesn’t strike me as a guy who will ever manage again so it is odd you’d extend him. Maybe it is just 1 more year though.
I’m not sure Bud Black is even an upgrade over Shelton at this stage in his career.
Much rather have Shelton. Not even close. Would guess at least 3 years. Probably 4. Hopefully longer. He is cheap and I would give him as many years as he is willing to take. With the talent coming he will only get more expensive and I don’t believe is paying managers big $.
Dream-I think that they are somewhat forced into doing this based on their record but it is only 21 games.
It is also tough to manage the last year of a contract because it may seem like upper management does not have confidence in you.
Shelton has some weaknesses I think but he may be learning on the job.I think that his strengths are his patience and rapport with the players and upper management.
It remains to be seen whether this can translate into good management skills with a team that should be winning rather than one that can win or won that is awful enough that even John MacGraw could not win with them.
A good manager is worth a lot of money with the player salaries that are current but I would not give him a ten year contract if he wanted one.
@Mendoza Line 215 I think they extended him or planned to before season even started. He enthusiastically does whatever they ask. Embraces analytics. Players play hard for him. No one should be surprised with this news.
I am not surprised,but I wonder if this would have happened if they had started 7-14.
This is the year that the Pirates need to show clear cut improvement for the entire season,because they have been absolutely awful for three years.
I think that Bud Black is a good manager,but he may not last the year if the Rockies play this bad all year.
Sometimes a change for change’s sake can shake up a team.It may not even be largely the manager’s fault.
I am curious to see the length of the contract extension.
@Mendoza Line 215 I seen him extended no matter what. Maybe record got him more years. I think he is good and hope it’s 3 to 5 years.
I don’t have a problem with Shelton but I don’t believe any manager should get more than 3 years ever. Eventually the same message and motivational techniques fall flat no matter what. Just keep extending managers for a couple seasons at a time if things are going well but no need to force yourself into an unnecessary buyout scenario down the line.
the same Bud Black that manages a team that the Bucs scored 33 runs against in 3 games at his home stadium?
That Bud Black?
This is Shelton’s first job as a manager. Previously he was an assistant hitting coach
Your name fits you well
Maybe Shelton being hired here was a Simple Twist of Fate. Maybe ownership offered him Shelter From the Storm. Maybe he could have managed in Mozambique or have been Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
No matter.
But Bud Black? Clearly, you’re Tangled Up In Blue
Bob Melvin too. Also Bud Black is a great manager, the Rockies are a horrible team to manage
Great managers have the talent of getting the best from their players
Bud Black doesn’t meet this criteria
Why do people think Black is this great manager? He was good pitching coach with the Angels.
I guess my feelings about this can be summed with this analogy: I flipped a coin, and it landed on its side – neither heads nor tails – and I’m good with that.
Should hire an experienced Pirate so they can start stealing some wins.
Johnny Depp is available
I thought Depp was playing shortstop for the Sawx.
They tried it but he was out of his Deppth
Yuk yuk.Not bad Utah.
Look for the General manager to get a new deal also.
It best to have both of them to suck and loss so In few years. You can clean house with a new GM and Manager
Chicago Cubs fans are wishing this already.
Cherington should have been extended already IMO. Unlike previous regimes he’s had a good plan and stuck to it all along.
Probably already locked up. If not will be. He has done an excellent job and you don’t lock up the manager and replace the gm usually.
You strike me as an a&&hole. Just go away
You strike me as a non-fan. Just go away
Excellent move and well deserved. He did what they asked from him during the tank and when trying to win this year he looks as good as any. I counted 2 bad decisions this season. He can improve. Main thing is players like him and play hard.
He was the cheapest option.
He has the 14-7; 4th best record in all of baseball.
Shhhhhhh!
Sorry to tell you. But of the six teams you’ve played this year only one has even a .500 record and that is the Astros right at .500 as of 4/23. The other teams you’ve played Reds, Rockies, Cardinals, White Sox and Red Sox all have below .500 records.
Yawn. Who cares? Really. Who cares? This is why you step into a Pirates thread? To be a killjoy?
They won 62 games last year
62.
They routinely lost to any-and everyone
regardless of their record
What an incredibly stupid comment, but thanks for stopping by
sorry to burst your poorly educated bubble but they are beating the teams they’re supposed to win against
Are you and Captain Judge related by chance?
D-You are correct in what you say.But us Pirate fans know that they have been so bad for 3 1/2 years that this is like a breath of fresh air.
They have been playing good baseball and none of the teams that they beat are all that terrible.We know that this will not last but it does give us hope that they will at least be a decent team over 162 games.Many of the players are young so perhaps they have turned the corner and can compete for the division this year or soon after.
All those teams have below .500 records partially due to the Pirates beating them too though. Sure the Reds and Rockies are expected to be bad and the Red Sox are probably close to being a .500 true talent type team but the Cards and White Sox both have/had serious plans to contend for a division title. The Bucs being 15-7 against a mixed bag of teams like that still unequivocally shows the team is playing good baseball right now.
You have to beat teams no matter the record..so you’re post is as irrelevant as you
Blah, blah, blah
and Pirate starters have pitched 10 consecutive quality starts
Not to be picky but it’s 11 going into tonight.
They extended Lloyd McClendon the year he got canned, so he still has to perform. Seems like a safety bet. If the BUCS continue to perform it’ll keep him from being poached. Seems pretty smart to me.
He has around 150 million reasons to test the open market if the Pirates ever fire him.
They have been tight lipped about his contract from day 1. He was on an expiring contract. Could just be one more year for all we know. I’m fine with that. I wouldn’t go to crazy with anything else.
They could’ve gotten Ron Washington.
Good option but Shelton is the right guy.
The concern that I have with Shelton is he overuses his relievers. Otherwise, I like him for the team.
Up until this year the primary reason he overused his relievers was that his starters were awful and rarely sniffed 5 innings of work.
Doesn’t over use them anymore it seems.
I like the movie. He makes good decisions, but not all work out. He is building a good ball club
I never knew the manager signed players
SMH
Yeah, but just what movie is he talking about?
I like the movie. He makes good decisions, but not all work out. He is building a good ball club .
Managers don’t win games they can only lose them.
Things may be turning the corner for Shelton and the Bucs, you can’t say Shelton didn’t pay his dues, kudos.
Lefty- In 62 years of watching MLB you’re the best pitcher who I ever saw.
I’m right there with you, Mendoza, but I confess I cannot remember seeing Koufax pitch. Guess I’ll have to go with Gibson or Seaver
Can you imagine if Koufax didn’t have an arthritic elbow. He was one of the greats…wish he could’ve played longer
I must confess Mendoza that I missed the Koufax/Drysdale Era, but caught the 70’s Dodgers teams against the always tough Pirates, and other stars that you grew up watching.
Lefty-The 7o’s and the 1900’s were the two best decades ever for the Pirates.
The Dodgers did not win their first World Series until 1955 but they made up for it soon thereafter.
Koufax was the type of pitcher who was always at his best in the most important games.
I saw him pitch in the first game of a doubleheader on the next to last day of the 1966 season.If the Pirates would have swept it they would have been in first place with one game to go.
Needless to say the Dodgers swept and led the Giants by a game.
Not sure who won the last game of the season but the Dodgers won the pennant then lost to the Orioles in the World Series.
He could not hit the broad side of a barn until his last six years but was he great then.
I think that he was a bonus baby in 1955 from the University of Cincinnati and then you had to be kept on the ML roster for the whole year.They kept him there for six years knowing what the last six years could be like.
Then he quit after the 1966 season because his elbow was shredded.
Not overly thrilled about keeping him but seems to be working at the moment.
What other options are there? It’s not like they’re gonna pay for a top shelf skipper. They live on the rail…
Shelton’s previous salary was $1 million dollars, while Dusty Baker’s was $1.5 million
Dave Roberts of the Dodgers is $6.5 million
Pittsburgh is considered a small market franchise so naturally they aren’t in a position to pay Dodgers’ manager salaries
Any buffoon would know this
Realistically high end manager salaries are roughly equal to mid-level bench player salaries. Any team can afford it. Just a matter of allocation of resources as in do you want an experienced manager with a solid track record and an extra pre-arb player on the bench or an established veteran on the bench and a relatively unproven manager. Neither approach is right or wrong per se but every team can afford Dodger level manager salaries.
If this can happen, Minnesota will never have a new manager.
Pay Reynolds more critical
Random question…
Have the new rules worked at all?
Does baseball look more like baseball these days or is it just TTO at a quicker pace?
I like the quickened pace. It’s still baseball but a fan has less opportunity to fall asleep as a hitter adjusts his batting gloves after each pitch or a pitcher spends 5 minutes on every batter
I love it.These game durations are more like those of the 1960’s.Inasmuch as they are not drawn out so long I think that the games are more exciting because the action is over a much shorter duration.
I am also amazed of the significant difference in time saving.It stupefies me that it was not seriously considered long before now.They evidently were not aware of the magnitude of it.
The great pitchers normally worked quickly anyway.
When I say baseball I mean lots of balls in play, stolen bases, defense, pitching to contact even, etc.
The past few seasons have been TTO, everyone trying for only home runs or strike outs and it bores me to no end and I’ve stopped watching MLB.
I have my fingers crossed that TTO will go away, either on it’s own or by rules changes and real baseball will return.
Oh you’re right about that and to me, it’s just this flavor of the era. Bunting runners up, hit and run and myriad other long held strategies of the game have taken a back seat to the home run
You’re exactly right
Add to this that few pitchers are inclined to “own” the inside part of the plate and are afraid—Heaven forbid—to back batters off the plate, and it’s no wonder batters are able to tee off like never before
Gibson, Pedro, Roger—-distant memories whose styles are just antiquated relics of a bygone era
I saw more beauty in a 1-0 or 2-1 game than the 11-10 slugfest any day
Not sure the clock has anything to do with all of this. Apples and oranges
MLB’s answer to the NFL scoring frenzy has been to “give” fans more offense so as to not be boring. Don’t even get me started on starting extra innings with a runner at second or the proposed designated pinch runner
speaking of bunting, why doesn’t Bae, the fastest player on the team bunt more often in an attempt to get on base?
He tends to swing at the very first pitch thrown to him and often out of the strike zone
There was a moment in the 7th inning of today’s game that the Pirates could have broken open a close game. Runners on 1st and 2nd, no one out and Bae up
Reds have the wheel defense going and Bae instead does two fake bunt/slap swings and misses badly before being called out on strikes
Bob Walk up in the booth says, “Well, there was no place to bunt the ball”
Seriously?
Bae couldn’t push a bunt to 3rd with Castro running from 2nd?
Luckily, Santana set the table when he stole 2nd in the 8th and Suwinski doubled him home
Again, I’m ecstatic about this start and the contributions from so many guys. I mean, VV has looked great in his last three starts.
But sometimes, you still shake your head over what you see
Still, watching them hasn’t been such fun in years
It’s not a secret that base stealing attempts and success rate are both way up compared to the last couple of decades.
I don’t think any of the new rules were ever intended to deliberately modify the increase of TTO players in the league. Most were to speed up the pace of play which seems to be working.
Very good move
Seen a couple of games this year and he’s made some questionable decisions, but this is the best team he’s been given to work with after 3 years of subpar teams. Even managers mature and get better at managing, this being a good example.