Former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly has been making the media rounds again lately as the 2018 World Series champion and 13-year MLB veteran contemplates a Major League comeback.
Kelly was a recent guest on the Foul Territory podcast and spoke about his desire to rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen later this summer. The relief pitcher and published author also detailed an unfortunate event that took place while recently coaching his kid’s little league baseball game.
“I don’t know if you saw this the other day, but I got bopped on the forehead by a fan,” said Kelly. “I had to go to the sheriff’s office after the game. We stopped the game, and they said, ‘You guys can forfeit to take a win.’ I said no.”
Kelly, who has trained as a boxer and was part of an infamous benches clearing brawl against the New York Yankees’ Tyler Wade during the 2018 season, did not retaliate.
“The manager on the other team’s sibling came over and bopped me in the forehead. So I had a private arrest and (currently) waiting on a court date,” added Kelly.
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Foul Territory co-host and former Red Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski asked if Kelly was surprised that a “dude” would attack him. Kelly dismissed the incident as being one of the many problems currently affecting youth sports.
“Dude is a suspect word,” responded Kelly. “But yes, he had the (expletive) to go after me while I was sitting on my bucket by the way, on the field. Youth sports (has become) a mess in general, dude.”
Kelly pitched five seasons with Boston between 2014 and 2018.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
