Joe Kelly isn’t joking around. Or is he?
Kelly, whose personality has been on full display with the Boston Red Sox since last July’s trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, already might be eyeing life after baseball. If so, he has a perfect idea.
“I would love to try stand-up comedy,” Kelly recently told the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato at Red Sox spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. “That would be freaking awesome, to go to some classes and learn some stuff.”
It didn’t take long for Red Sox fans to receive a glimpse of Kelly’s outgoingness, as the right-hander snapped a selfie with Derek Jeter on the field at Fenway Park before the longtime New York Yankees captain’s final game. But the photo heard ‘round the Twittersphere was just the tip of the iceberg. Really, it was merely a continuation of a philosophy he’s held almost his entire life.
Kelly’s personal motto, according to Mastrodonato, is, “What if you die tomorrow and nobody ever got to know you?” He apparently came up with it on his own at age 4.
“Since then I’ve felt comfortable being myself,” Kelly said. “Some people say you have to act a certain way, but life is short. You don’t want to be someone that you’re not for no reason.”
Kelly’s sense of humor, which features a distinct sarcasm, already has proven unique. It’s also contagious, as the 26-year-old doesn’t see any reason for anyone to mask his or her true identity.
“Forget about that,” Kelly told Mastrodonato. “Don’t hide who you are.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
