A Mariachi Joe Kelly bobblehead was added to the 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers promotions and giveaways calendar, set for Friday, September 22, the night of a series opener against the San Francisco Giants.
The Friday game also represents the final Dodger Stadium drone show of the 2023 season. The Dodgers introduced drone shows as another form of entertainment to mix in with their traditional Friday Night Fireworks.
Also available for the Sept. 22 game against the Giants is a special Nurses Night ticket pack that includes an exclusive tumbler. The item is not a stadium-wide giveaway like the Kelly bobblehead and can only be obtained through purchase of the ticket package.
The Dodgers adding a Kelly bobblehead to their giveaways schedule comes just over two weeks after his return to the team via trade with the Chicago White Sox.
A Mariachi Joe Kelly bobblehead (September 22) has been added to the #Dodgers giveaways schedule. pic.twitter.com/AXHHoNPZRH
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) August 15, 2023
Kelly previously pitched for the Dodgers from 2019-2021. He then signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the White Sox in February 2022.
During his first stint with the Dodgers, Kelly quickly became a fan-favorite and further endeared himself by trading barbs with Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros during the 2020 season. It was the first meeting between the teams since the Astros’ 2017 World Series cheating scandal was unearthed.
FOCO previously released a Kelly bobblehead with a charro jacket, and another version more recently to celebrate his return to the Dodgers. Both limited-edition bobbleheads quickly sold out.
How Joe Kelly became ‘Mariachi Joe’
Back in the 2021 season, Kelly traded his game jersey for the charro jacket from mariachi player Grover Castro Tiburcio, a California State University, Northridge alumnus and trumpet player for Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar.
Kelly then famously wore the jacket when the Dodgers visited the White House to celebrate their 2020 World Series title, though only out of circumstance.
“Originally I just wanted the jacket. It’s one of those things that was kind of spur of the moment,” Kelly explained at the time. “I saw they were going to perform before our game, and Kenley (Jansen) saw them and brought them down to the field.
“It’s one of those things where I thought in my head, ‘These things are sweet.’ I asked if they wanted to trade, and at the moment I don’t think any of them really wanted to. They’re beautiful pieces of work with outstanding embroidery on it, outstanding fabric on it.
“I didn’t get a glimpse of it up close until I actually made the trade. After I made the trade, I wasn’t planning on wearing it to the White House. I totally forgot we were even going to the White House.
“So it was one of those things like, ‘I should try this on to see if it fits.’ I tried it on after the game and thought, ‘Man, this fits great.’ And those were actually Mookie Betts’ pants, that’s why they were a little bit too short. My whole outfit was borrowed.”
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