PITTSBURGH – The group textual content from normal supervisor Ben Cherington to the gamers got here Thursday morning: Derek Shelton was being let go because the Pirates’ supervisor.
As Paul Skenes would say Friday, “Sadly, I wasn’t shocked.”
“On the finish of the day, we’re 12-26,” Skenes mentioned. “Somebody’s obtained to be held accountable, and sadly proper now, it’s him. That’s simply sort of the way it goes, however I don’t know that it fixes the basis of the problem, which is we have to play higher. That’s been the messaging at the moment, that’s been the messaging for just a little bit now and we’ve nonetheless obtained to try this.”
This season has not gone the best way the Pirates envisioned. Attribute it to accidents, gamers not dwelling as much as expectations or no matter else, however the workforce got here into this yr with an expectation to be aggressive. It hasn’t been, struggling out of the gate earlier than falling into its seven-game shedding streak heading into Friday night time’s opener in opposition to the Braves at PNC Park.
Throughout his press convention Thursday, Cherington mentioned that “a change was vital” given the workforce’s efficiency. That sentiment was echoed within the clubhouse.
“Typically, groups have to make adjustments,” Ryan Borucki mentioned. “I have been round groups the place you are like, ‘Yeah, you’ll be able to sort of see the writing on the wall’ just a little bit. We simply want just a little little bit of a spark, just a little little bit of a change. Hopefully, that is what it takes to get this workforce going.”
It nonetheless places gamers in uncharted territory; most have by no means needed to navigate a managerial change in the course of the season. That largely applies to younger gamers – of which there are a lot within the Pirates’ clubhouse – however even veterans, like Andrew McCutchen.
“The one factor I can concentrate on is myself, doing my job and no matter I can so one thing like that does not ever occur once more,” McCutchen mentioned. “That is all I am making an attempt to concentrate on. Hopefully, the blokes within the clubhouse are doing the identical factor, so collectively we will change issues for ourselves so we’re not having to undergo this once more.
“This season has been what it has been up to now. Clearly, it hasn’t gone the best way we wished it to go. So if we need to change that, we’ve to exit, do our job and attempt to win the sport we’re enjoying every day.”
“I believe there’s numerous feelings, a bunch of various emotions,” infielder Jared Triolo mentioned. “However we’ll see the way it works going ahead.”
Beneath some circumstances, the firing of a supervisor in-season is an unofficial white flag. The Pirates aren’t actually ready to try this, particularly since there may be nonetheless three-quarters of the season remaining.
Borucki spoke of a spark {that a} change like this may deliver. Time will inform if new supervisor Don Kelly can deliver it. It could be an uphill climb to get again into the Nationwide League Central race, however there’s sufficient runway that it’s no less than believable.
“It is baseball. Something can occur till 162 is completed,” Borucki mentioned. “You are by no means carried out. My saying is, ‘It is by no means too late to get scorching.’ We nonetheless have a lot season left. We’re not dropping by the wayside as a workforce. It is onward and upward now.”
“If nothing else, we higher develop, as a result of if we don’t develop then it’s a totally misplaced season,” Skenes mentioned. “Simply obtained to maintain going and perceive the urgency of the place we’re at proper now.”
May Shelton’s dismissal be the wakeup name the workforce wants? Skenes’ reply on the matter was brief: “We’ll see.” As a result of whereas Kelly will give the workforce a brand new voice, he’s not going to have the ability to carry out on the sphere.
“He will do his half. He will do his job,” McCutchen mentioned of Kelly. “Clearly, it isn’t like we’re making an attempt to lean on him to assist us. He can not help us in a means the place it will get us to carry out on the sphere. We’ve got to assist ourselves in that facet.
“He will handle. That is his job. We’ve got to do ours, too. He will do his, we’ll do ours. If we will collectively come collectively and have some success, that is all you’ll be able to ask for.”
