The Los Angeles Dodgers brought back Joe Kelly on a one-year deal this offseason, but the veteran relief pitcher had to switch his jersey number due to the signing of Shohei Ohtani.
Both Kelly and Ohtani wore No. 17, but that number now belongs solely to the two-way star after he left the Los Angeles Angels. Kelly ended up switching to No. 99 and joked giving Ohtani his number would be the closest he gets to being part of a baseball legacy.
“I wasn’t going to give it up to just anybody,” Kelly recently said. “If Shohei keeps performing, he’ll be a future Hall of Famer and I’ll be able to have my number retired. That’s the closest I’ll get to the Hall of Fame.”
Prior to Ohtani joining the Dodgers, Joe Kelly’s wife Ashley started an “Ohtake17” campaign on social media, offering to donate her husband’s number and all the 17 related merchandise she owned. Ashley also jokingly said the name of one of their children had changed from Kai to Shokai.
Ohtani has thanked Ashley for the support and giving him Joe’s jersey number by gifting her a new Porsche.
“It’s yours…from Shohei.”
Shohei gifted Joe Kelly’s wife Ashley with a new car for her Ohtake17 campaign. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Vsb3PqMthF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 24, 2023
It has not been revealed if Ohtani gifted anything to Joe as well. Kelly was previously asked during the Dodgers’ Holiday Event if there was anything he would request from his new teammate.
“Oh there’s a list, but no comment,” he answered.
The new car may or may not have been on the list, but it was a generous gift from Ohtani, who is a representative for Porsche.
Joe Kelly recalls facing Shohei Ohtani
Kelly is now set to be teammates with Ohtani for the first time in his career. “Obviously, he’s one of the best hitters in the game,” he said of the two-way star.
“I’ve faced him numerous times, a couple doubles off of myself. A couple of them could have been outs, I’m not going to say any names — AJ Pollock.
“Every time I face Shohei it seems he knows what pitch I’m about to throw even if I’m quick pitching, doing a triple leg kick or anything like that. In the playoffs, you need a guy like that that’s not afraid and wants to be the star in a big moment.”
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