Pittsburgh Pirates Manager Don Kelly has fond memories of growing up in Mt. Lebanon. The significance of this hometown boy becoming the manager of his hometown team is not lost on Kelly, who used to trick-or-treat at the Mt. Lebanon home of Pirates manager Jim Leyland. Kelly laughs about it now. “You had to make sure you went there because he was giving out the regular sized candy bars. They were the big guys!”

All these years later, Kelly is celebrating his one-year anniversary as the Pirates’ skipper after being promoted from bench coach to interim manager on May 9, 2025, after Derek Shelton was fired following a disappointing 12-26 start to the season. Kelly’s contract was extended in late September.

His love of sports developed while growing up on Kenmont Avenue. “Everything being walkable, living close to Lincoln School, being able to play basketball and tennis and get out on the field and play. It was just such a great community,” he said.

A couple of his favorite hangouts were Bado’s Pizza and Little Nippers on Beverly Road. “Living close to Beverly, my first job was at Baskin-Robbins. It’s now Scoops on Beverly. Big shoutout to Mike Collins, who was my first manager and now owns Scoops,” he said.

In his senior year of high school, Kelly helped lead the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils baseball team to a PIAA state championship. In 80 plate appearances that year, he struck out only once. “1998 was a great year,” he said. “Very special. I have really fond memories of playing baseball coming up through Mt. Lebanon and playing in high school for coach Ed McCloskey. To win the state championship with him was great.”

“A fierce competitor with a quiet demeanor and a great base runner with a great baseball IQ” is how McCloskey describes Kelly. “You didn’t have to tell him how to do something a couple of times, he picked it up right away and did it very well.”

It turns out McCloskey’s wife, Carol, taught Kelly in elementary school, and described him as a great kid, smart in all the subjects and pleasant to have in the classroom.

“I do pinch myself. It’s completely humbling — the journey that I’ve been on from being a junior that was undersized at Mt. Lebanon to now being the manager of the Pirates,” Kelly said.

Known as a versatile utility player, Kelly played all nine positions during his nine years with three major league baseball teams. He made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2007, before heading to Detroit, where he reconnected with Jim Leyland.

“I was completely intimidated playing for him at first, but at the end of the day you figure out he’s a big softy.”

After his playing career ended after a stint with the Miami Marlins, Kelly turned to scouting and development for the Tigers.

Reflecting on his first year as the Pirates’ skipper, Kelly admits taking over was challenging, but being at the helm has been great.

Coming off a Grapefruit League record of 17-13, Kelly is being credited with the team’s positive attitude. “Being able to set the foundation for what we want going forward in 2026 has been really great,” he pointed out.

Kelly is trying to bring a winning mentality back to Pittsburgh by creating a blue-collar culture.

“It resembles what the city of Pittsburgh stands for, that toughness and that grit, and holding each other accountable to playing winning baseball and keeping that at the foundation of what we’re trying to do. That’s what we’re holding ourselves to,” he said.

Despite his share of ups and downs over the years, Kelly maintains a positive attitude about the game of baseball. “I didn’t know where this journey was going to take me. I love the game and I think that’s what drives you — the love of the game.”

“It’s just completely humbling to be the manager of the Pirates.”