Along the left-field reserve level at Dodger Stadium lies a mural featuring former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly.
The recently-retired Kelly revealed why the Dodgers can never take down his mural.
“Dude, there’s no way they take it down. You know why? This is why. Because ever since that mural’s been up, the Dodgers have won a World Series. You take it down, you’re gonna lose World Series. They’re gonna jinx it,” Kelly told AM 570 Sports.
Kelly fair warned the Dodgers that they shouldn’t take down his mural, mainly as a superstition amidst the team’s quest of completing the three-peat in 2026.
“I mean, you take that mural down… let’s see if they win the World Series,” Kelly said.
Why is Joe Kelly’s Nickname ‘Mariachi Joe’?
The mural at Dodger Stadium features “Mariachi Joe,” a nickname Kelly famously received after trading his game-worn jersey for a Mariachi group’s jacket in 2021.
Kelly then wore the mariachi jacket during the Dodgers’ visit of the White House and most recently threw out the ceremonial first pitch in L.A. sporting the iconic outfit during the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds last season.
Did Joe Kelly Retire?
While Kelly was reluctant to state he was retiring ahead of the 2026 season, the veteran revealed he didn’t have plans to continue his playing career.
“I ain’t playing,” Kelly told Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
“There’s no such thing as retirement for athletes. Retiring is something my grandmother did. Let’s cancel the word retirement, it’s used for people who served in the military, for people who worked til 65. You guys deserve to retire, athletes don’t.”
Kelly spent parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, making 161 appearances and tossing 147.2 innings since joining the organization in 2019. He produced a 3.72 ERA during his Dodgers tenure.
The reliever expressed interest in returning to the mound last season, but an opportunity never materialized.
Kelly leaves the game as a two-time World Series champion, winning his first ring in 2018 as a member of the Boston Red Sox and his second ring with the Dodgers in 2020.
