Joe Kelly Has Hilarious Answer For Why He Gave Shohei Ohtani His Dodgers Jersey Number
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani to a massive contract that keeps getting even crazier.
Ohtani is officially a Dodger, and the excitement is palpable among fans, players, and the organization. L.A. has won the offseason by signing the two-way superstar, but the team has also made other significant moves.
One of those was bringing back World Series champion reliever Joe Kelly. The Dodgers brought back Kelly this past summer as part of the Lance Lynn deal before the trade deadline. Kelly looked great in his return, bringing the energy to Chavez Ravine while rocking the No. 17. However, Kelly now has a new number — No. 99 — since Ohtani will now rock No. 17.
The 35-year-old spoke to reporters at a holiday event on Wednesday and said why he gave Shohei his jersey No. 17.
“I wasn’t going to give it up to just anybody,” Kelly said. “If Shohei keeps performing, he’ll be a future Hall of Famer and I’ll be able to have my number retired. That’s the closest I’ll get to the Hall of Fame.”
per Joe Kelly via AP News
Kelly was then asked what Ohtani was giving him in return, and here’s what the righty reliever had to say.
“Oh, there’s a list, but no comment.”
per Joe Kelly via AP News
Kelly will enter 2024 with a new deal and a new jersey number. The Dodgers signed the veteran reliever to a one-year, $8 million deal.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Kelly is a favorite. One inning at a time but always fun to watch!
It’s hard not to love Joe Kelly. He’s so entertaining to watch and he is a true blue Dodger!
I agree!!
It used to be really hard to like Joe Kelly until the game against the Asterisks in 2020 when he was need up getting suspended for throwing at Correa et al.
Remember before then, Kelly had arguably cost us 3 World Series titles. In 2013, the Dodgers had gotten red hot in June after starting the season miserably with injuries, in last place at 31-42 in June. They got hot when Yasiel Puig was called up from the minors, and went 46-10 over the next couple of months as players got back from injuries and Puig energized the team. Around the same time, Hanley Ramirez also came back from injuries sustained in the world baseball classic and Hanley was the team’s most dangerous hitter for the rest of the season. He actually also tied the National league record for extra base hits in the division series against the Braves, as well as the franchise record for extra base hits in the postseason. Then in the first game of the NL championship against the Cardinals, Joe Kelly hit Hanley in the ribs with a fastball and broke his ribs. Hanley missed game two and was limited after that. Although Hanley had only played about half the regular season (86 games and 304 at bats due to his injuries in the wbc, he had hit .345 with an on base percentage of .402 and a slugging percentage of .638. Thus Kelly’s fastball to the ribs and resulting injury cost us going to the World Series.
Fast forward to 2018, Kelly pitching with the Red Sox. He pitched in all five games for a total of six innings and did not allow a single run to score, inherited or against him. Only four hits allowed.
Then Dodgers sign him after 2018 season and in the playoffs against the Nationals what does Kelly do? Pitches in three games for 2 and 1/3 inning total, allowing 6 runs and taking the loss in game five, but doing much more damage than just in that game.
So Kelly arguably was the reason the Dodgers did not win World Series in 2013, 2018, and 2019, making it very difficult to like the guy.
Then of course there was the game against the Asterisks in 2020, and all has been forgiven now. After that; and generally watching the guy, I hated to see him leave the team when his contract was up, and I was glad to see him back last year at the trade deadline and glad he has re-signed for 2024.
That reminds me when the Dodgers signed Koufax! He had to stay on the team the first two years, so the Dodgers cut Lasorda and sent him to the minors, causing his famous quip, “It took the greatest left hander of all times to get me out of the majors”!!!
Great memory! Thank you for that!