Who should represent Detroit Tigers in MLB All-Star game?
The “Days of Roar” podcast debates which players from the Detroit Tigers should make an appearance in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, set for July 15.
Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch jokingly hopes to make Don Kelly’s return to Detroit as the Pittsburgh Pirates manager a difficult one.Hinch and Kelly have a close relationship, with Hinch having given Kelly his first coaching job and the two winning a World Series together with the Astros.Kelly cherishes his time in Detroit, particularly the team’s playoff runs and World Series appearance in 2012.
Don Kelly was the topic, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch put on his serious face.
“I hope we make it a miserable three days back in Detroit,” Hinch said on Tuesday, June 17. “We can cheer him, but let’s leave him three days miserable.”
He was speaking of Kelly’s return to Detroit, after six years as a coach and nearly three dozen games as an MLB manager. The Pittsburgh Pirates skipper is in the Motor City for the first time this week as a manager, and Hinch wants to make sure that his return to the city in which he spent most of his playing career doesn’t deliver a friendly welcome.
Hinch’s tone softened quickly, though.
“Everybody loves him,” Hinch said. “I’ve been fortunate to be around him a lot, and I’m really proud of how he’s taken to coaching and now managing and everything that he brings to the table.”
The connection between Kelly and Hinch goes back several years. In fact, Hinch gave Kelly his start in on-field coaching, hiring Kelly out of the Tigers’ organization as the Houston Astros‘ first-base coach for the 2019 season. They won an AL pennant together that year. Soon after, Kelly joined then-Pirates manager Derek Shelton’s staff as the bench coach. This year, he replaced Shelton on May 8 after the Pirates began the season 12-26. They entered the series against the Tigers at 17-18 under Kelly (though Game 1, on Tuesday, went the Tigers’ way).
The Pirates’ improvement isn’t a surprise to Hinch.
Kelly is known for his ability to connect with players — not a trait that hurts in a locker room used to losing, with six straight seasons under .500 entering 2025.
Hinch also noted Kelly’s versatility as a coach, similar to his time on the field. Kelly played every position during his nine big-league seasons (including all but shortstop in Detroit), giving him a variety of perspectives. It also gave him plenty of time watching games from the dugout.
“He’s pretty well-rounded,” Hinch said. “I think part of that comes from being a utility player, part of it is being on the bench a lot to watch a lot of games. He’s played for a lot of great managers. He then was so curious about every aspect of baseball operations, with player development, scouting, when he came over at first base, he got a little bit more into baserunning, obviously, the infield, outfield defense, the decisions that go on by managing. And I liked how he could be relatable to the players, and I thought he could impact players, which is why we brought him on our staff.”
The two are good friends, speaking about once a week, in Hinch’s estimation, with Kelly leaning on Hinch as he learns the manager’s role on the fly . They haven’t spoken much this week — neither texts the other when they’re about to face off across the diamond — but they keep in contact the rest of the time.
Recently, Hinch called Kelly after the 45-year-old was ejected May 30, for the third time in his first 20 games. His advice? Stop getting ejected.
“He called me and said I should probably stay in the game,” Kelly laughed. “I’ve done a pretty good job the last few weeks of doing that. But he’s been great. Just to have a sounding board there, to be able to bounce some things off of.”
It’s special to Kelly to return to Detroit, the city he considers his second home. He had so many career moments as a Tiger — his first home run and his first RBI (ironically, both against the Pirates, the team for which he made his MLB debut), his walk-off sacrifice fly against the Oakland Athletics in Game 2 of the 2012 ALDS, his home run against the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS. But his favorite memories of being a Tiger were the team successes.
“Winning the division four straight years at the end and going to the playoffs and the World Series in 2012,” Kelly said of the Tigers’ run from 2011-14. “Those are the biggest memories for me. Comerica being packed and drawing 3 million fans, it was an exciting time.”
Matthew Auchincloss is a reporter with the Detroit Free Press. Connect at mauchincloss@freepress.com.