Perrotto: Don Kelly Sends Overdue Message to Lackadaisical Oneil Cruz

Oneil Cruz blew his second chance. Don Kelly didn’t.

Last Friday night, Cruz, the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder, booted a ball in the first inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at PNC Park. He compounded the error by not chasing after the ball.

The complete lack of hustle was enough that Kelly, the Pirates’ neophyte manager, should have removed Cruz from the game at the end of the inning. It was the perfect time to show Cruz that his chronically uneven effort level is unacceptable.

Kelly whiffed on his first real opportunity since being elevated from bench coach on May 9 to assert his authority. Kelly did not criticize Cruz publicly following last Friday’s game, but discussed the importance of respecting the game the following day.

Cruz again failed to respect the game on Tuesday night when the Pirates lost to the Brewers 9-3 in Milwaukee. He hit into an inning-ending double play in the seventh inning and jogged down the line instead of trying to beat it out.

This time, Kelly didn’t let it slide. He took Cruz out of the game and replaced him with Alexander Canario.

It was about time somebody sent a strong message to Cruz.

Former manager Derek Shelton allowed that kind of behavior to persist since Cruz made his major league debut in 2021. The excuse was always along the lines of he’s just a kid and he’s still learning what it’s like in the big leagues.

Kelly seemed to be following Shelton’s lead last Friday, which was disappointing. Kelly was mentored by Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland during his upbringing in the game, spending most of his playing career with the Detroit Tigers.

There is no way Leyland would have put up with Cruz’s continued lapses in effort. Leyland would have called Cruz out, just like he did Barry Bonds in an infamous public tirade during spring training in 1991.

Granted, that was 34 years ago. Times have changed, and managers yelling at players in full view of the fans and media is a thing of the past.

However, discipline plays in any era.

The sad part is that Cruz is an incredibly talented player, possessing a powerful bat, outstanding speed, and a strong arm.

Cruz’s 13 home runs lead the Pirates, and his 29 stolen bases top the National League. Conversely, his batting average is just .211 through 70 games, and he has struck out an MLB-worst 101 times in 304 plate appearances.

It is easy to say that the 26-year-old Cruz is young and still learning. That is true to an extent, but he has three years of major-league service time and has been playing professionally since 2016.

However, Cruz’s instincts for the game are lacking, and he often seems more motivated by being Mr. Statcast than winning games.

Some fans have accused me of picking on Cruz. However, I have no personal animosity towards the individual.

I write what I see, and I often don’t like his effort level. Many general managers, managers, scouts, and opposing players share the same assessment.

There comes a tipping point in everyone’s career. Maybe Cruz’s arrived on Tuesday night, and he’ll give more consistent effort from now on.

I wouldn’t bet on it, but at least Kelly has now shown that he will no longer tolerate Cruz’s act.