Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Pirates outfielder Billy Cook sparked controversy after a baserunning incident altered the outcome of a critical loss.
- Don Kelly openly questioned the delayed call and its impact on the team's slim playoff hopes.
- With young talent waiting in the minors, the front office faces pressure to replace underperforming roster spots.
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost in painful fashion on Saturday night, and Don Kelly wasn't happy about it. Pittsburgh was called for baserunning interference with the bases loaded and two outs. Thus, what would've been the tying run did not score, and the game ended in controversy. Any loss to the lowly Colorado Rockies is one the Pirates cannot afford, let alone by their own doing.
Pittsburgh is grasping for straws at this point in the season to stay in the NL Wild Card race. Should they fail to do so, it'd give their front office, headlined by expert rebuilder Ben Cherington, another chance to trade away expiring assets for controllable young talent. While that approach sounds promising, it is a failing strategy when none of that young talent amounts to anything.
Don Kelly was MAAAAAD on that controversial baserunner's interference call, crazy ending to the Pirates at Rockies game pic.twitter.com/L10fVyjpi2
— Justin Dryjanski (@jdchicago13) June 21, 2026
Billy Cook is wasting space on the Pirates roster
It was Cook who kicked Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros' glove while rounding the bases. The umpiring crew didn't catch Cook in the moment, but after conferring with each other, changed the call rather quickly.
"They said that they got together and that Billy kicked his glove, which he did, looking at the replay,” Kelly said. “I just didn't know [why,] if you saw that, why it wasn't called immediately. You had to get together to call it."
Cook was only in the game as a pinch-runner. While Cook quickly emerged as a fan favorite this season thanks to the Pirates fast start and a celebration of his invention — the coveted parking cone — he hasn't done anything on the field to warrant a roster spot. On the year, he has a .167 batting average and a .333 OPS. His OPS+ is literally -7. Even after the replay clearly showed he made contract with Karros' glove, Cook claimed he didn't quite understand the call.
“No, I didn’t feel contact, and then all of a sudden they called me out and I was like, ‘Dude, I didn’t feel it,’” Cook said. “I watched the replay and it nicks just enough of his glove, but the cleat and everything, I didn’t feel it in the toe area. I guess the replay shows that I did. The video doesn’t lie. Just unfortunate how that played out.”
The Pirates farm system is too talented to keep Billy Cook on the roster
Cherington deserves some credit for building a talented farm system the past few years. Whether it be through trades for expiring assets or via the MLB Draft, there's little denying the Pirates are in a better spot these days with organizational depth than in the past. However, as I mentioned above, it's about time those talented young players made their way to the major leagues. This is especially true when a player like Cook, who's rarely in the starting lineup on game days, is actively harming the on-field product. Saturday's mistake ought to be the final straw.
Whether it be a talented young arm like Hunter Barco who could aid an ailing bullpen, or another outfielder like Jhostynxon Garcia who's already received his big-league cup of coffee in 2026, the Pirates need to make a move. This team is headed in the wrong direction.
While I applaud Cook's efforts to make himself an invaluable part of the Pirates clubhouse, that sort of contribution only matters when the Pirates are winning. Considering how the month of June has gone for Pittsburgh (not well), it's time the front office makes some necessary changes to give the Pirates a better chance to win now.
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