The absence of former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly was felt in the ways of his enthusiasm and sometimes demonstrative attitude. Heading into another year with the Chicago White Sox, Kelly announced the release date for his new book, which opens with a memorable moment from the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series season.
Kelly dealt with multiple injuries with the White Sox last season, including a biceps strain, hamstring issues, and knee trouble. But he found time in the offseason to open up and work with journalist and writer Rob Bradford to bring many of his baseball stories to life and to speak up about behind-the-scenes information, along with the state of Major League Baseball.
The colorful pitcher has been at the center of a few on-field brawls and jaw-dropping moments, but in an appearance on “Dodger Talk” with David Vassegh, Kelly explained why his benches-clearing incident with former Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa was the ideal introduction:
“I’ve always hated the finale being at the end. You watch a movie, you know exactly what’s going to happen. For myself, I’ve always been the guy not to shy away from the honest answer, or being myself and being candid. I think that whole situation between me and Carlos was perfect to start off the book that way. Let people know this is me, this is real, and I want you guys to understand what really happened. What’s cool in the book is I go in depth behind the scenes.”
The July 28, 2020 game between the Dodgers and Astros will be remembered as the game Kelly buzzed the tower on Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel, both members of the 2017 Astros championship team tainted by their cheating scandal.
He then struck out Correa to complete a scoreless frame before exchanging glares, then words, and Kelly then made a pouty face toward Correa.
The two-time World Series champion and his book, “A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America’s Pastime” explains the issues Kelly personally has with MLB and how they’re approaching rule changes and ultimately changing the foundation of baseball, with a myriad personal tales from his time in the big leagues.
Joe Kelly doesn’t believe Houston Astros will ever escape cheating scandal
Prior to the 2022 World Series matchup between the Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, Kelly spoke about the perception fans and many around MLB have when it comes to how they view the franchise involved in a cheating scandal that guided them to a championship title.
Kelly thinks that a majority of fans associate the Astros with that ‘cheating’ mentality and will go beyond the normal rules of the game to win a game, mainly because of how much information and chatter that go on via social media.
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