As he considered coming out of retirement to join the Pittsburgh Pirates as a special advisor to manager Don Kelly, Gene Lamont needed Kelly to get two things straight. No. 1, Kelly, who’s been ejected twice through his first eight games as skipper,

Gene Lamont is back where he once belonged. The Pittsburgh Pirates are bringing back their former manager as a special adviser to current manager Don Kelly. This is Lamont's third stint with Pittsburgh.

Gene Lamont hadn’t been in uniform since 2017, his last year as the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach. And it had been 25 years since he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now 78, Lamont wasn’t necessarily looking to return to a big league dugout.