FILE - Detroit Tigers coach Gene Lamont gives instruction during a spring training baseball workout in Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - Pittsburgh Pirates manager Gene Lamont, right argues balls and strikes with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi after being ejected by Cuzzi in the second inning Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 against the Houston Astros in Pittsburgh.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Gene Lamont is back in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform 25 years after being fired as their manager
PITTSBURGH (AP) 鈥 Gene Lamont hadn鈥檛 been in uniform since 2017, his last year as the Detroit Tigers鈥 bench coach. And it had been 25 years since he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates.
FILE - Detroit Tigers coach Gene Lamont gives instruction during a spring training baseball workout in Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
PITTSBURGH (AP) 鈥 Gene Lamont hadn鈥檛 been in uniform since 2017, his last year as the Detroit Tigers鈥 bench coach. And it had been 25 years since he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Now 78, Lamont wasn鈥檛 necessarily looking to return to a big league dugout. But he couldn鈥檛 resist when Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly called last week and .
Lamont鈥檚 first game back was Monday night when the Pirates hosted the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series.
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Lamont returns to the Pirates for the first time since they fired him as manager at the end of the 2000 season following a four-year stint. He also managed the Chicago White Sox from 1992-95.
Kelly was a utility player for the Tigers when Lamont was on their coaching staff.
Lamont鈥檚 title with the Pirates is special consultant. However, he will primarily serve as the de facto bench coach.
, Kelly was promoted from bench coach to manager. Kelly had never managed at any level.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more just being with Donnie,鈥 Lamont said of his role. 鈥淢aybe there are some decisions during the game that he鈥檒l wonder about. Do I have all the answers? I have the answers, but they鈥檙e not always right. I鈥檒l give Donnie my opinion and hopefully it鈥檒l help.鈥
The Pirates entered Monday with a 15-32 record and in last place in the NL Central. They trailed the division-leading Chicago Cubs by 13 games.
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鈥淚 think we鈥檙e a much better team than we鈥檝e played,鈥 Lamont said. 鈥淚 think the players know that. But you have to do it on the field. You鈥檝e got to make pitches, and everybody knows we鈥檝e got to hit a little better. I think that we will. Sometimes it takes time.鈥
Kelly is happy to have Lamont as a resource. The Pirates are 3-6 since switching managers.
鈥淛ust a phenomenal baseball guy,鈥 Kelly said. 鈥淭aught me a lot as a player and looking forward to having him around, teaching the staff and the players what he knows.鈥
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