It’s tough times in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Thursday that they have fired manager Derek Shelton after a rough start to the season, which saw the team at 12-26. This marks the first managerial change in Major League Baseball this season.
In a surprising move, the Pirates have promoted bench coach Don Kelly to take over as manager.
Throughout his tenure, Shelton, age 54, amassed a record of 306 wins and 440 losses, failing to lead the team to even 76 victories in a single campaign.
“Derek is a good person who contributed a lot to both the Pirates and the city, but we felt it was time for a change,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting stated. “The beginning of the season has been challenging and disappointing for everyone involved. We know we must improve.”
“There’s still plenty of baseball ahead of us. We need to take decisive steps to turn things around and get back on track as both a team and an organization.”
