He used to wow spectators in the Majors with a fastball that reached 100 mph. A World Series-winning relief appearance and more than 14 seasons in the MLB. But this time, the pitcher found himself on a different mound: The dirt of a kids’ baseball diamond, where he got into an assault that ended with him calling the cops.
It was the last game of a USSSA Lake Area Rattlers (U9) tournament for his son, Knox Kelly. As he watches, the scoreboard shows that his son’s team is comfortably ahead. Not only as a father but as a coach, he was enjoying the game. Then, all of a sudden, something unexpected happened, which left the parents and children frozen.
Joe Kelly, an MLB star and essential member of the 2018 Boston Red Sox championship bullpen, sat down with police after being attacked at his son’s USSSA U-9 championship game. Kelly, whose son plays for the Lake Area Rattlers, talked about the frightening incident on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. He vividly detailed how everyone in the grandstand cheered until, out of nowhere, remarks degenerated into physical threats. “I have my glasses on and like ‘Are you afraid you’re going to lose to assault?’ … I was like, ‘What?’ … and then this person … leans over … ‘Yeah, you heard me. Are you afraid you’re going to lose to assault?’” Kelly recalled. “And then, all of a sudden, I get my hat flicked off. Like, who does that?”
But what happened next was even worse.
“A fist punches me in the forehead” as he bends down to get his cap. And his son was standing just a few feet away. Horrific!
Later, he filed a police complaint and was asked to identify the individual, so he took his son along with him. Kelly described the situation as “embarrassing.” And the most shocking part was when he said the assaulter was none other than the “sibling of the manager of the other team.”
Joe Kelly’s heckle kinda highlights that even an MLB star can face tough challenges. He has thrown against the league’s best batters, but he never thought a hit would happen at a kid’s game.
From a 100 MPH fastball to a youth field fistfight
Joe Kelly became famous in 2012 with the St. Louis Cardinals. His triple-digit fastball and no-nonsense relief pitching made him famous in MLB. He played 485 games in 14 seasons (2012–2024), pitched 839 innings, and struck out 767 batters. His career ERA was 3.98 and WHIP 1.37. He pitched well under pressure, helping the Cardinals, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox, and Cubs in the postseason. He was crucial to Boston’s 2018 World Series success.
Kelly rejoined the Dodgers midway through 2023–24. After being moved from Chicago, he received a one-year, $8M deal for 2024 with a 1.74 ERA in 11 games. During that time, he had a 4.78 ERA, 35 strikeouts in 32 innings, and a 1.47 WHIP. Back then, he showed his toughness by returning from the injured list to the big-league mound.
Kelly’s season stats highlight his veteran consistency. Despite a terrible year, he had good innings and strikeout counts (35 K in 32 IP in 2024). He had over 750 strikeouts in fewer than 850 innings using a heater and gutty slider late in games to go to closers. A K/9 rate of 8.2. Amazing!
Now, if a person of his stature, with career stats that would make any reliever’s highlight reel, can face stuff like this, it might actually happen to anyone! Respect and humanity probably need a reboot NOW!
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