One week after firing manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates have announced further changes to the coaching staff. Pittsburgh is bringing former manager Gene Lamont back to the organization to serve as a special advisor to newly tabbed manager Don Kelly. Triple-A manager Chris Truby is also being promoted to the big league staff and will hold the generic title of “major league coach” as well.
Truby, 51, appeared in parts of four major league seasons as an infielder. From 2000-03, he suited up for the Astros, Expos, Tigers and Devil Rays, playing in 263 big league contests. He played in parts of 15 minor league campaigns and finished his playing career with the Pirates in a 2007 season split between their Double-A and Triple-A levels. He began his coaching career shortly thereafter, taking a minor league role within the Pirates system. He’s since managed multiple minor league affiliates with the Phillies but returned to the Pirates in 2022. Minor league field coordinator and assistant director of coaching and player development Shawn Bowman will step in as the new Triple-A skipper in place of Truby.
The 78-year-old Lamont has spent eight years as a major league manager and a couple decades on big league coaching staffs. He helmed the White Sox from 1992-95 and the Pirates from 1997-2000. He’s served as a third base coach in the major leagues and was also the bench coach for both Jim Leyland and Brad Ausmus in Detroit. With eight years of MLB managerial experience — including 1993 AL Manager of the Year honors — and a 23-year coaching career on top of that, he’ll bring more than three decades of dugout experience to help Kelly acclimate to his new role.
Beyond the new additions. third base coach Mike Rabelo will “expand his role on the bench” and contribute to game-planning and in-game strategy. It seems he’ll pick up at least a portion of the duties held by now-former game-planning coach Radley Haddad, who was fired at the same time as Shelton.
This changes everything!!
Bob Nutting saved some money, he didn’t have to hire from outside the organization.
“Saved some money”…It’s far more than just “money” spent; where are all the high, first round picks that Pittsburgh has had the last 15 years?
Teams that don’t “break the bank” have hot to draft and develop very well, to have any chance at contention.
The owner decides the payroll(as it should be), but why not hold the front office accountable to sign, draft & develop well?
mlb fan,
It’s on Cherington to invest in player development and analytics especially when teams like Tampa, Cleveland and Milwaukee also operate under small payrolls. But perhaps Nutting isn’t willing to invest in that, it’s difficult to know.
World Series here we come!
Pirates baseball. Perfect for napping which I’m sure Lamont will be doing a lot of
They need to limit the amount of coaches in the dugout, You should get 5 guys other than the manager maximum. Hitting coach, pitching coach, bench coach, 1B coach, 3B coach(bullpen catcher also but he’s in the bullpen) Get rid of all other special assistants and instructors on game day.
Why? What difference does it make how many coaches etc are in the dugout. You have provided absolutely no support for your old man screaming at the tv argument.
26 men, minus 4 starting pitchers not in the game equals 22. Let’s say another 5 in the BP equals 17 in the dugout. Do you REALLY think that it should take more than 5 coaches total to direct 17 players? I certainly do not.
Why is this a problem? Nobody in the dugouts is complaining.
There is a limit. You can have as many coaches as you want, but only the manager and 7 other coaches during games (it used to be six, but that was changed in 2013). For most teams, the 7 coaches present during games are:
1. bench coach
2. first base coach
3. third base coach
4. pitching coach
5. bullpen coach
6. hitting coach
7.. assistant hitting coach (that’s the one that was added in 2013)
Gene Lamont??? Honestly, didn’t know he was still around. Going back to the 1900s lol
He was drafted 13th overall by the Tigers back in 1965!
Promoting your AAA coach in season is a new one.
This is their MO. Why spend money on an expensive free agent coach when they can just develop the coaching talent in-house. They’re bringing him up mid-season so that they can manipulate service time (I mean because he wasn’t quite ready to join the big league club earlier in the year, though let’s just hope he doesn’t win manager of the year and get a full year service’s time to go along with that honor) and provide that little spark the team’s been missing all year.
coaches and managers aren’t subject to service time like players are
SMH
It was poorly placed sarcasm. I know they’re not (and that them winning manager of the year wouldn’t grant them a full year of service time)
It was obvious sarcasm and it’s amazing that someone though it wasn’t, smh.
Not for playing service time but it does help their pensions which max out at 10 years service time.
Sure promotes player development, doesnt it?
Let’s put this chair in front of this one, and then move this one here :sigh: we’re good now! — server on the Titanic
🤔
Why not bring in Jim Leyland to help one of his favorite players out? He lives in the Pittsburgh area so only makes sense. Not sure if he’s still working for the Tigers organization in some capacity.
Leyland is still on the Tigers payroll. Lamont is the next best thing.
He can’t relate to these young players like Gene Lamont can.
Trivia: Chris Truby made a cameo in Better Call Saul. Well, sort of. Season 4, Episode 10: Career criminal Mike Ehrmantraut is listening to the radio play-by-play of a minor league game when we hear, “Chris Truby had to hurdle the baseball on its way through the infield.”
Impressive. Love this, thanks for sharing. Someone in the BCS crew deserves recognition for the attention to detail required to ensure that the broadcast Mike’s listening to fits the timeframe of the story line, since it was filmed way after Truby’s playing career ended.
Ben Cherington maps out his latest strategy for turning the Pirates into a contender.
youtube.com/watch?v=CQg46vM80-U
If this all wasn’t so pathetic it would be funny. Another last place finish coming up.
Chris Truby had one of my favorite cards from 2002 Topps. Didn’t know he had been coaching for so long!
Looks like a lot of Tiger influence in the dugout now. That isn’t all bad. These guys were on or involved in some of the better Tiger years.
Sounds like Nutting recruited through a craigslist ad. “Coach for a major league team. Minimum wage offered, but good hands-on experience. Could lead to a higher position (also minimum wage) within the organization. Send resume to Bob”.
Gene Lamont has a successful history with the Pirates as a manager
I would have rather them brought back McClendon, the man could steal a base
McClendon had a knapsack for double switching when removing a pitcher
Granted, he wasn’t a good manager, he was passionate about his job
Sounds to me that they’re bringing all of their in-house candidates for the full time managers gig in to be evaluated by Ol’ Geno over the summer.
Wall-Good point.
But the pick may be Lamont!
Where’s Dusty Baker? When you hire him you get 2 for 1. Dusty as manager and the illustrious toothpick as bench coach. Dusty’s toothpick has forgotten more about baseball management than most of you will ever know. Get him a xxxxx small jersey with T. Pick on it and he’s ready to go, no salary negotiation, no crabbing, just baseball.
Amazing they fire a MORON. Hire his clone. Then bring in a 78 year old ex manager to help Kelly.
I’m all for having a seance to conjure up the spirit of Danny Murtaugh to help. He can spit tobacco juice in the 3rd baseman’s glove like he did to Don Hoak as a joke.
Oh where did the good old days go