SARASOTA — Not a single word was lost in translation, although few were exchanged between Casey Kelly and LG Twins CEO Kim In-Seog. Few of them were necessary.
The former Sarasota High baseball and football star hadn’t pitched particularly well for the Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) this season, and the team didn’t want to wait for him to do so.
But the two-sport athlete, who turned down a football scholarship at Tennessee to play baseball, believes everything happens for a reason. And the way Kelly, 34, looks at his release from the Twins now, it not only gave him the chance to play for his father, but was the obstacle unexpectedly removed from his path back to the major leagues.
If you look at Cincinnati’s game report from Saturday night’s game at Pittsburgh, you’ll see a “Kelly” who pitched three scoreless innings as a relief pitcher in the Reds’ 10-2 win. That Kelly even made the save.
Yes, after a break of almost six years, Casey Patrick Kelly, the Boston Red Sox’s 2008 first-round draft pick, is back where he started: on the MLB mound.
“Yes, 100 percent. My release from Korea was a blessing,” Kelly said after learning of his promotion to the Reds. “Baseball taught me that you need a few rainy days to appreciate the sunny days. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to pitch at the highest level.”
He remains: After his best professional season, Casey Kelly from Sarasota signs a one-year contract to stay in Korea
A chance to play for his father
After Kelly’s release, he was placed on waivers for seven days. This meant that Kelly and his wife Ariel had to stay in Korea. But when no other KBO team signed him, the couple returned to their home in Gilbert, Arizona. The time they spent in the air breathed new life into his baseball career. His agent negotiated a deal for Kelly with the Reds, who needed help as a starting pitcher in AAA Louisville, where a certain manager, last name Kelly, first name Pat, was in charge.
“When we were in the air, the deal with the Reds was made,” Casey Kelly said. “The next day I went to the Reds complex, got a physical and played catch. I came home on a Thursday and by Monday I was in Louisville. I always wanted to play for my dad, but I also think the opportunity is here, every team needs pitchers and pitchers are so precious. With my dad being here, it seemed like the best place to get a chance to get to the big leagues.”
Father and son have faced each other before. After Casey Kelly was drafted by the Red Sox, who made the shortstop/pitcher a full-time pitcher, he was assigned to their Gulf Coast League team. At the time, Pat Kelly was the manager of the GCL Reds. And when Kelly was a member of the San Francisco Giants and pitched against the Reds, he was able to look into the Cincinnati dugout and see his father, the team’s bench coach.
“It’s totally surreal,” Pat Kelly said. “You always want to see your kids succeed and have success. Usually you’re cheering them on from the stands, or maybe on TV or video. This is a lot different.” Casey Kelly said, “It’s not weird being in the same locker room or on the field with him because that’s how I grew up. It might be weird the first time he comes out to take me out of the game. I’m not going to want to give him the ball.”
But once Kelly was in Louisville, plans for his return to the major leagues began to move faster. He played once for the Bats, the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, and then again. In total, he pitched eight innings, allowing eight hits and four runs. Kelly was preparing for his third start for Louisville when he got the news from his father. A plane ticket would take him from Louisville to Pittsburgh, where he would join his new teammates on the Reds.
“It all happened so fast,” Kelly said. “I had two assignments in AAA and was getting used to the (bigger) baseball and the pitch clock. I didn’t know if I was ready, but my dad gave me the confidence that I was.”
Casey Kelly was planning on returning from Korea to give MLB another chance, but not under these circumstances. He was the longest-serving foreign player in Twins history and is considered the best foreign player in team history. Kelly is also the first and only foreign pitcher to win the Korean Series with the Twins. When he was released, he was 5-8 and had a 4.51 ERA, a drop from his first five years with LG when he averaged nearly 14 wins and 175 innings pitched.
When Kelly’s surprise at being fired wore off, it was replaced by something else. Fear. Fear that the Twins’ firing would also mean the end of his career. “Of course,” he said. “I’m 34. I’ve been thinking about retiring in Korea, whether this year or in two years. I know how tough the competition is in the U.S. and how hard it is to get a job, especially this time of year.”
As it turned out, Kelly’s fears were unfounded.
A long and winding road to baseball
When Kelly went to Korea, he did so as a pitcher with an injury history and one equipped with a fastball and a curveball, and not much else. But with the Twins, Kelly learned the slider and the change-up. He also matured from a thrower to a pitcher. He returned from Korea with more weapons than when he left.
Change speed, throw strikes, pitch to contact, take advantage of the fielders behind you.
Casey Kelly’s plan to survive in the MLB.
“That’s the name of the game,” he said. “I feel like I’m a more complete pitcher now than I was when I originally went over. I think the only thing that’s changed is age. I still feel young; my body moves really well, so I think it was a good time to come back and see what I can do. I might not throw 96 or 97 miles an hour, but I can definitely navigate a lineup three or four times, throw strikes, get deep into the game and give my team a chance to win. I think as long as my body and mind are OK, I’ll do it until people stop blowing the whistle.”
Pat Kelly’s youngest son reflected on his long and winding path in baseball.
“It’s been a great journey,” said Casey Kelly, “and I hope there’s a lot more left.”
