He signed out of high school and played 8 1/2 seasons in the minors. The Minnesota Twins called him up during the 1975 season. A first baseman-outfielder, he was in the big leagues for 71 days. He appeared in 49 games and batted .181 with one home run.
“It was off Vern Ruhle of Detroit,” he recalled Wednesday night at Comiskey Park.
His biggest day was in Milwaukee. He got a hit in the top of the ninth and knocked in a run that put the Twins ahead 2-1. Then in the bottom half, he “made a pretty good play that saved the game.” Pitcher Bert Blyleven was so grateful, he took him out after the game.
“I don’t remember if we had dinner,” Kelly said. “He just took me out.”
Today, 21 years later, Kelly is the American League’s senior manager, in his 11th season with the Twins. His 1987 and ’91 teams won the World Series.
“He doesn’t miss much,” said Chuck Knoblauch, the Twins’ All-Star second baseman. “He has a great instinct for anticipation. Sometimes it seems he always knows what’s going to happen.”
Does Knoblauch enjoy playing for Kelly?
“Of course. But you have to play hard for him, or he’ll sit you down.”
Three weeks ago in Detroit, “I did a stupid thing,” Kelly insisted.
The Twins had runners on first and third with two out. Cleanup batter Marty Cordova was the batter.
“I tried a double steal,” Kelly explained. “We won the game, but the guy was out at home. It was stupid of me. I embarrassed myself.”
More importantly, Kelly had embarrassed Cordova. The attempted double steal was Kelly’s way of telling Cordova he didn’t believe he was capable of driving in the run.
Did Cordova get the message?
“I think so,” Kelly replied. “He went on a 22-game hitting streak.”
It’s difficult not to have a special admiration for Kelly. I don’t think there has been a big-league manager quite like him–not in my time. He speaks softly and slowly and works the hardest at avoiding publicity.
“People come to see the players,” Kelly said. “They don’t come to see the manager, the coaches, the trainers or the umpires.”
Kelly has learned the most difficult assignment is handling a second-division club, particularly in a small market. The Twins have a player payroll of $22 million, about half that of most of the financially advantaged clubs.
“You have to have your head screwed on and then you go from there,” he said. “You need a lot of patience. Nobody gets a good hand all the time.”
The way Kelly sees it, his job is to help improve his players, most of whom are comparatively inexperienced at the big-league level.
“The idea,” he said, “is to get these players in a position so they can compete against the first-division clubs. Once that happens, I can go to my general manager and say, `If we can add another good pitcher and get a hitter from the free-agent market, then I think we can win.’
“And Terry (Ryan, the Twins’ GM) will say, `OK, I think you’re right.’ And he’ll go to Carl Pohlad, our owner, and Mr. Pohlad will say, `OK, let’s go!’ “
And when does Kelly believe such a scenario is likely?
“Not this year, maybe not next year,” he said. “But it could be the year after that.”
