Most ex-managers aren’t rushing to hand out grace to the team that showed them the door. Usually you get some combination of polished PR-speak, thinly veiled resentment, or even a quote that sounds respectful until you read it twice and catch a jab hidden inside.
Derek Shelton, however, found a way to deliver comments that stood out. Instead of making it weird, he disarmed Pirates fans with honesty, class, and a reminder that even the guy who wore all those losses knew Pittsburgh deserved better.
During an interview on Foul Territory, the former Pirates manager looked at what Pittsburgh has finally started doing this offseason and said the one thing Pirates fans have been dying to hear from just about anybody with a microphone: “They deserve a winner.