PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are keeping Don Kelly as manager.

The club announced Monday that it had extended Kelly's contract after he oversaw improvements for the team in the second half of the season.

Pittsburgh was 12-26 when it fired Derek Shelton on May 8. Kelly was promoted to interim manager and went 59-65, including 32-33 after the All-Star break.

The 45-year-old Kelly is from Pittsburgh and played one of his nine big league seasons with the Pirates.

“Donnie is an elite communicator. He is deeply trusted by our players because he’s credible, consistent, and unafraid of tough conversations,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “His background as both a scout and a coach gives him a rare perspective: patience when it’s needed, and an unwaver

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