DURHAM, NC – The Coastal Plain League (CPL) recently witnessed another first, as alum Don Kelly (photos courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates) was promoted to Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, May 8. The next day he coached the Black and Gold to a 3-2 victory over Atlanta, ending a seven-game losing streak. Kelly is the first former CPL player to become manager of a Major League Baseball (MLB) club.
A Pittsburgh-area native, Kelly was promoted from bench coach after the club parted ways with Derek Shelton. Kelly played college ball at Point Park University but used a breakout summer with the Petersburg Generals in 2000 to get noticed by scouts. The following year, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the eighth round of the 2001 MLB Draft.
After the 2006 season, Kelly became a free agent and signed with Pittsburgh. He then made his Major League debut on April 2, 2007 with the Pirates in a 4-2 win over Houston. At the end of the season, Pittsburg granted Kelly free agency, where he signed a minor league contract with Arizona and spent the 2008 season at Triple-A Tucson. Another free agency led him back to Detroit in 2009, where he joined the Tigers officially on June 11, 2009. He also spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins before retiring as a player.
In 2017, he began his post-playing career as a scout and assistant on the player development for the Tigers. Later that season, the organization promoted him to a Major League scout. His coaching career started a year later as he was named the first base coach for the Houston Astros in November, 2018. He took over the role of bench coach for the Pirates in December of 2019 before getting the keys to manage the club recently.
With the Generals, Kelly finished seventh in the CPL in batting average at .313. Further, he led the league in hits (57), stolen bases (28), and tied for the lead in triples with three. His 30 runs scored was tied for the second most across the CPL. Meanwhile, Kelly also added 18 RBIs, 18 walks, and four doubles. He was named the Hitter of the Week following the third week of the season, and was honored as a North CPL All-Star player at the 2000 CPL All-Star Game in Wilson. Petersburg with Kelly’s help went on to win the CPL Petitt Cup Championship that summer as well.
About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier and most innovative summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,800 alumni drafted, and 200 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Alec Bohm, Jake Cave, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.
About Capitol Broadcasting Company:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCLY-AM, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, WRAL Digital and Wolfpack Sports Properties (a joint venture with Learfield) in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality and Coastal Plain League in Durham, NC; The Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; Greenville Yard Gnomes in Greenville, NC, the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC, and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC.