PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a new third base coach, who takes over in the first full season under manager Don Kelly.
The Pirates hired Tony Beasley as their third base coach, with fans of the team likely having some familiarity with him.
Pirates’ Don Kelly Recounts First Meeting with Tony Beasley
Kelly had interactions with Beasley prior to hiring him on his staff, first meeting Beasley during his playing days.
Beasley was manager of Double-A Altoona around the same time Kelly was with Double-A Toledo in the Detroit Tigers minor league system.
He recounted a moment with Alex Stumpf of MLB.com where they met during a benches-clearing brawl between the two teams and that he liked how Beasley handled himself and protected his team.
“We had some interaction when Erie played Altoona,” Kelly said. “… Nobody was on the benches.”
Kelly Praises Beasley
Kelly kept in touch with Beasley following his time with the Pirates and then during his tenure with the Washington Nationals and later on with the Texas Rangers.
He saw how Beasley continued with his coaching career over the past two decades and that his experience and his character stood out.
“Always respected how he handled things and the way he went about it,” Kelly said. “To see his career transpire through Washington and Texas, the human and overcoming cancer and everything that he means, to bring him in as a really strong baseball guy.”
Beasley’s History with Pirates
Beasley joined the Pirates in September 1991 in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles and played in their minor league system throughout the rest of the decade.
He his coaching career with the Pirates in 1999 in the minor leagues and was a manager in the minors for five seasons, 2001-05.
Beasley served as the hitting coach with the Gulf Coast League (GCL) in 1999 and then in the same position with Class-A Lynchburg in 2000.
His first managerial job came with the Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York-Penn League, where he led them to a 46-26 record in 2001, finishing as co-champions.
Baseball America named Beasley as their Low-A Manager of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2002 and 2003 with the Hickory Crawdads, winning the South Atlantic League Championship in 2002.
Beasley led Double-A Altoona to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2004, earning Baseball America Double-A Manager of the Year honors.
He returned to the Pirates after a short stint with the Washington Nationals, taking over as the minor league infield coordinator in 2007. His work with Neil Walker was crucial, as he made his transition from catcher to the infield.
Walker would have a successful career with the Pirates, playing seven seasons at the MLB level from 2009-15, serving as the starting second baseman from 2011-15, earning National League Silver Slugger Award honors in 2014.
Beasley took over as third base coach in 2008 under manager John Russell, but lost his job after the Pirates fired Russell following the 2010 season.
July 6, 2008; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Adam LaRoche (25) is congratulated by third base coach Tony Beasley (29) after homering during the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. The Brewers defeated the Pirates 11-6. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Beasley’s Coaching Background
Beasley joined back up with the Nationals, serving as manager of Double-A Harrisburg in 2011 and Triple-A Syracuse in 2012 and 2013, then serving as co-field-coordinator of instruction in the Nationals’ minor league system in 2014.
He then joined up with the Texas Rangers as their third base coach for the 2015 season.
He eventually served as interim manager for the final 48 games of the 2022 season, as the Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward, finishing with a 17-31 record.
May 12, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley (27) during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Beasley moved back to third base coach under new manager Bruce Bochy in 2023, winning the World Series in 2023. He eventually left after the 2025 season, ending 11 years with the franchise.