CHICAGO -- For about the first four years after his eldest son, Brett, was born, Don Kelly didn’t have to worry about baseball talk when he got home. Brett was just happy Dad was home.
It was around four years old that Brett started to pay attention to the games. At which point, of course he was happy Dad was home, but he also had to critique his performance. I mean, how could he go 0-for-4 with two strikeouts?
“I think everybody puts so much pressure to produce, come through, be the guy, and it helps to keep things in perspective,” Kelly said. “To have family and to have your kids, your job still matters, you still want to produce, but then when you see them, it helps keep it in perspective.”
Today, the tables are turned. Kelly is now a spectator at his kids’ Little League games, oftentimes before he heads to PNC Park to manage his hometown club.
Kelly and his wife, Carrie, are the parents of three boys: Brett (16), Luke (13) and Brooks (10), all of whom are ballplayers. Brett loves to pitch. Luke doesn’t, preferring to play up the middle at shortstop or center field. Brooks is pretty chill and will go wherever his coach wants to put a lefty. The boys play other sports too -- football, basketball -- but for obvious reasons, baseball is special for the family.
“It’s awesome,” Kelly said. “If I have a chance to be there and see them play, I won’t miss it. It’s fun to see them compete, love and play the game.”
Being able to catch those games and come back home was a major selling point for Kelly when he returned to Pittsburgh in 2019. The Pirates were revamping their coaching staff, and Kelly was brought in as bench coach. He had spent a year as the Astros’ first-base coach the season prior and had a nine-year career as a player on his resume, so he drew interest around the league, but Kelly had lived in the Pittsburgh area his whole life. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass on, or leave in subsequent winters when other opportunities arose.
“Coming off of a World Series with Houston, I didn’t really even think about staying in Houston,” Kelly said. “I just wanted to get home.”
After six years as bench coach, Kelly assumed managerial duties on May 8 after Derek Shelton was dismissed. The team has responded under their new skipper, and while nothing is in place beyond the 2025 season, the odds of Kelly staying on as Pittsburgh’s big league manager and resident Little League spectator are certainly improving.
Brett and Luke have aspirations to play beyond the collegiate and high school levels, and Kelly’s time as manager has been a bit of an eye-opener for the middle child. There are points that Kelly brings up when he’s coaching his kids, and they’re often in-line with what he’s saying in press conferences and to his team.
“I think it resonated with him, like, ‘Wow, you’re not just telling us this. It’s something that you’re sharing with the team as well,’” Kelly said.
That’s Major League instruction those boys are getting. Kelly is happy to give it, and also support them in whatever endeavors they want to pursue. There are lessons from this game that are universal, like the value of hard work and having passion in what you do.
“You’ve got to love it to be able to put the time in to work at it and be good,” Kelly said. “Whether it’s baseball or whatever, I just want them to find something that they love to do and be as good as they can be at it.”