PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced updates to their Major League coaching staff to fill recent openings.
Chris Truby and Gene Lamont are joining the staff, with Truby stepping in as a coach and Lamont taking on the role of special advisor to newly appointed manager Don Kelly.
According to a team press release, Truby will wear jersey No. 44 and begin his duties during the upcoming road series against the Philadelphia Phillies from May 16–18. Lamont is expected to join the club during their home series against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park from May 19–21.
Additionally, Mike Rabelo will remain the team’s third base coach but will take on an expanded role, assisting Kelly more directly with in-game planning and strategic decisions.
Chris Truby, 44, began this season managing the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis and is in his fourth year serving as the organization’s minor league infield coordinator. He’ll now work closely with the Pirates’ infielders at the Major League level. Truby brings big league experience from his playing days in the early 2000s, having spent time with the Houston Astros (2000–01), the Montreal Expos (2002, 2003), and the Detroit Tigers (2002).
Gene Lamont returns to the Pirates for his third stint with the club. His history with the team dates back to 1986, when he joined Jim Leyland’s staff as third base coach, a role he held through 1991 before returning for one more season in 1996. He succeeded Leyland as Pirates manager from 1997 to 2000, compiling a 295–352 record (.456) before being dismissed ahead of the 2001 season and replaced by Lloyd McClendon.
Between his stints with Pittsburgh, Lamont managed the Chicago White Sox from 1992 to 1995. He found more success there, highlighted by a 94–68 season in 1993 that earned him American League Manager of the Year honors and a division title, though the White Sox fell to the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. He was let go after a slow start in 1995.
Following his time in Pittsburgh, Lamont coached with the Boston Red Sox in 2001 and then the Houston Astros from 2002–04. He later reunited with Leyland in Detroit, serving on the Tigers’ coaching staff from 2006 through 2017. Even after Leyland’s retirement in 2013, Lamont remained with the organization under manager Brad Ausmus for four more seasons.
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