Kela disputes problem label
Keone Kela is well-aware of the perception of him outside of the Pirates clubhouse, the one that labels the late-inning reliever as a problem.
He very much disagrees with it.
“I’m cool with my teammates. My teammates know I go out there and give it all I can every time I step on the mound,” he said.
Kela has been suspended twice this season — once for an altercation with a team staffer, once because he threw up and in to Cincinnati’s Derek Dietrich.
To make his case, Kela cited what occurred Friday after a walk-off win: When he doused Kevin Newman with water, then high-fived and hugged manager Clint Hurdle.
Kela is not one to sugarcoat things — “We’re grownass men,” he said. “Not everyone is gonna [bleeping] like you.”
Proof: Admitting he threw at Dietrich, then incurring a heftysuspension because of it.
The latest Kela-related issue came in a report Friday, describing a professional wrestling-style shouting match between Kela and Hurdle after an altercation between Kela and Hector Morales, the Pirates director of cultural readiness and peak performance coach.
Kela took issue with how the situation was described.
“Clint wasn’t even in the vicinity to break up anything,” Kela said. “I was letting [Morales] know that we had some differences in terms of what we believe with [team] culture.
“Clint and I have never had a shouting match at each other. And honestly, if you can’t tell, I’m truthful. I don’t have anything to lie about.”
Hurdle shed some interesting light regarding his role. Put it this way: If something did happen, it wasn’t the first heated exchange Hurdle has had with a player.
“It probably happens way more than you have any clue about,” said Hurdle, adding that he butted heads with Russell Martin, A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole.
More Gonzo time
Erik Gonzalez started at shortstop Saturday, which prompts the simple question: Why?
With Newman established and Cole Tucker promoted for Jose Osuna’s suspension, it stands to reason that maybe someone else deserves to play.
But when Hurdle was asked about it, he pointed to the fact that Gonzalez was the starting shortstop out of spring training, and the Pirates need to figure out what they have in him.
“Lost his position by injury. Went down and did all the work, and he’s finding his way back,” Hurdle said.