PK at 2K: Players Praise Bats Manager Pat Kelly
In one word, Louisville Bats Manager Pat Kelly describes himself as “Intense.” That intensity has fueled Kelly in a professional baseball career that has spanned over 50 years, including nearly four decades on the coaching end with Kelly climbing the ranks as one of the top managers in Minor League
In one word, Louisville Bats Manager Pat Kelly describes himself as “Intense.”
That intensity has fueled Kelly in a professional baseball career that has spanned over 50 years, including nearly four decades on the coaching end with Kelly climbing the ranks as one of the top managers in Minor League Baseball history.
While his playing career was limited to just a brief stint with the 1980 Toronto Blue Jays, appearing in three games, Kelly’s advice to his younger self would be simple, and it’s something that he encourages his current players to think of.
“The advice I would have given was to enjoy the moment because you don’t realize you’re only going to be there for a little bit as a player,” he said. “Take the time to enjoy the moment of where you’re at and realize there’s a long journey ahead.”
As he celebrates his 69th birthday on August 27, 2024, Kelly still brings the energy to each game, managing with a style that is beloved by his players and those he works with each day.
“I think I’m a player’s manager. I let the players play. I feel it’s my job to manage the game and it’s their job to play,” he said. “People like to talk about my temper. But I’m much more controlled than I used to be. There’s still that passion. I want to win, and I want our team to win.”
With a history-making 2024 season nearing an end, we caught up with more than a dozen players that have recently played for Kelly. Their tales paint the picture of both a man and a manager who still brings the passion, intensity, and drive that has earned him a place in the hearts of those fortunate enough to play on his teams.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
A common trend among many players was that Pat Kelly simply has your back, no matter the situation.
“From the beginning, he was all for the guys and all for the players,” Santillan said. “He has your back and that goes a long way as a manager, when you know he has your back and no matter what it is he’ll fight for you every step of the way. He’s been in the game for a long time, so when he has something to say you make sure you listen and take it in because it can only help.”
“He’s just a laid-back guy that lets you play and trusts you a lot,” Cruz said. “I think the best thing I can say about him is that he puts trust in his players, he rides with them, and he’ll die with them. That’s what makes him special, and he makes people better around him just by trusting them.”
Michael Trautwein, who this season made his Triple-A debut in Louisville, went further on the atmosphere that Kelly creates by focusing on how the manager leads the clubhouse.
“He’s awesome. He obviously has so much experience in baseball and he knows so much about the game,” Trautwein said. “On top of that, he’s just a good guy and he keeps it light and it’s fun. That’s why you see a lot of guys who love playing for him, he really knows how to handle the clubhouse and it’s really cool being able to play for someone like that.”
A utility man in his first season with the Bats,
“Playing for PK is the best of both worlds,” Jordan said. “It’s fun and relaxed, but he holds you accountable to getting your work in every day. I would say he runs a tight and clean schedule where he allows everyone the opportunity to get to work and get better. Most importantly, I think he’s a winner and that translates to how we play as a team. There’s no way to hide the fact that he has 2,000 wins and there’s a reason for that.”
“He’s one of a kind. You can see why so many teams have played well for him because he really cares about his players,” Kemp said. “Especially playing against him on the other side, he just knows how to manage a game, and he sees the game at a different perspective that not many managers see. That’s why he’s in an exclusive club that not many people have gotten to. The best part about PK so far while I’ve been here is just the way he interacts with players and his way of keeping it loose in the dugout during tense moments in the game. At the end of the day, he knows it’s just baseball and yes, it’s our career, but you can’t take it too seriously. It’s a kid’s game and I feel like he still has that little kid in him.”
Another trend across many of the players is that Pat Kelly is hilarious. Reds All-Star pitcher
“He’s super funny and has a good sense of humor,” Greene said. “He will come across a little stern or maybe even intimidating to some people at times, but he’s a really solid person and is actually pretty funny as well.”
“He’s definitely the funniest manager I’ve ever had,” Trautwein said. “He’s always cracking jokes and keeping it light. With so much experience, he always has a story that matches up with whatever is going on, and he has a way of cracking me up.”
Another theme amongst the players, including several he managed in Louisville and sent to Cincinnati, was that Kelly is full of wisdom and passion, not just in terms of baseball but also regarding life in general.
“He’s been doing it for so long, first off, and he has a record that not many people could break now with over 2,000 wins,” veteran catcher
“He’s prestigious,” added reliever Casey Legumina. “He has a good feel for the game. He’s been doing this a longtime. He’s seen a lot of different players and games He has a great feel of when he needs to make changes in the game, and he puts us in a good spot to win the game.”
“A great guy that has been around the game a long time. There’s a lot of knowledge, a lot of things that we can learn, and I learned a lot from him,” Reds starter Andrew Abbott said. “A lot of things that were good to learn on the field of course, but also off the field teaching life lessons and what it’s going to be like in the show and just getting us ready for the big step up here.”
FUN, FIRE, AND CHAMPAGNE
Having managed thousands of players over his decades in baseball, Kelly is a part of stories that span baseball lore. From pranks on fellow coaches at spring training to tirades on the field and the clubhouse, and perhaps most notably, an ejection spanning from an umpire's broken belt, some stories seem too incredible to be true.
For Kelly’s squads, a few memories stand out more than the rest. Some show a fatherly figure giving advice on how to improve on the field. Others show the fire and passion for which Kelly is most known. Mainly, they show a great Manager connecting with his players, both on and off the field.
“He always does this thing called Little League Day and I got to experience it in Chattanooga,” Friedl recalled. “A couple guys like Tyler Stephenson and Taylor Trammell wore their little league jerseys to the field. We did a wiffleball game on the field before the game. He’d always pick a day in August when everyone is dead tired to do these Little League days, which was really cool.”
Little League Day continued for the Bats in 2024, happening in Toledo earlier in the summer. At another road game earlier this season, Kelly was a little less than polite, leading to an ejection and a memory for a couple Bats.
“In Indianapolis earlier this season, the umpires reversed a call and (Kelly) instantly went out there,”
“It’s pretty fun to watch him go out there and argue,” Legumina said. “Especially when he takes his hat off and throws it down, because that’s how you know he’s really mad or he thinks the call was wrong.”
Going to bat for your players is a prerequisite for any coach. But as he’s learned throughout a lengthy career, when you have a winning streak going, you can’t change a thing. Even if it means sacrificing time at the ballpark.
“We were on a losing streak in Omaha and one day we had a late day, and we ended up winning that night, so we had another late day the next day, then we ended up winning four in a row,” pitcher
A winning streak can do wonders for a team. For the 2024 Bats, their longest winning streak of the year led to one of Kelly’s finest moments at the helm. Following a tough four-game streak at the hands of the Indianapolis Indians, one of many teams Kelly has managed earlier in his career, Louisville rallied to win the finale 8-5 on July 6.
Heading back to Louisville Slugger Field to face St. Paul in a six-game series, the Bats were at their best. Needing three wins to get their manager to 2,000 for his career, the Bats crushed the Saints 8-1 in the series opener. A Michael Trautwein walk-off homer secured a thrilling 6-5 victory for win number 1,999. Then on Thursday night, July 11, the Bats hung on at the very end to prevail 3-2 for win, setting off a big celebration.
As the Bats went through the traditional high five and handshake line following their manager’s 2,000th win, a couple players doused Kelly with the contents of a Gatorade cooler. In the clubhouse, Kelly spoke to the team after becoming just the seventh Minor League manager ever to win 2,000 games.
"I don't really like champagne, so I don't think we should drink it." 🍾
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) July 12, 2024
Go inside the clubhouse with Manager Pat Kelly after his 2,000th career @MiLB win! #PK2K pic.twitter.com/K4LrkZwRhG
The moment was a season highlight for the Bats, and understandably, a top moment for many players.
“Once he achieved his 2,000th win, all of us were on the top step of the dugout listening to him speak and being involved in the celebration of that successful night,” infielder Levi Jordan said. “That is one of my better memories, being here to witness that.”
“Getting to catch that game and knowing how much it meant to PK and Minor League Baseball as a whole, it was awesome,” said Trautwein. “He’s so successful and he’s been around the game for so long. It’s so unique what he’s done. He gave us a speech in the locker room and spraying champagne on him was fun.”
Kemp wasn’t even supposed to be in the field for Kelly’s 2,000th win. In just his third game with the Bats, Kemp was scheduled to be the designated hitter. But he talked Kelly into letting him play the field and was rewarded with a diving catch in right field in the ninth to save the game.
“I ended up making that diving play out there and we got back to the handshake line after the game and I said, ‘I bet you’re glad you didn’t’ DH me today,’” Kemp said. “He started laughing and said, ‘Hell yeah, you’re right!’”
Most memories of PK are similarly filled with smiles and joy, with a little bit of fire in between, and that is what is often needed most through the grind of a Minor League Baseball season.
Soon, a reunion would lead to one of the best moments of them all.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Few know Pat Kelly better than his youngest son,
As someone who looked up to Pat from the day he was born, Casey has a unique perspective on his father, both as a dad and a manager. He grew up in clubhouses across the country before ultimately beginning his own career, which took an incredible turn last week.
“There’s so many great memories of me, my brother, and my sister being around the ballpark when we were kids. We were running around and causing trouble, living a dream even when we were kids,” Casey said. “We were playing ball in the locker room, helping the clubbies fold towels, a little bit of everything. I was just excited to be there and trying to soak everything in.”
"I go back to remembering him in Chattanooga when he was four or five years old. He’d be in uniform and helping the grounds crew, then hanging out in the clubhouse and he’d deliver water to the umpires,” Pat said. “It just brings back those memories and now (Casey’s) son C.J. has been in the clubhouse here. It really reminds me of when I had my kids in the clubhouse and how much fun we have.”
About three decades later, the duo created one more memory that will last a lifetime. Casey officially joined the Bats on August 7 and made two solid starts for Louisville. He was set to make another start for the Bats on Saturday, August 24. Following the Bats game on August 23, Pat, Casey, and many more members of the Kelly family were on the field together long after Louisville Slugger Field emptied, enjoying quality family time after watching the post-game fireworks. A phone call would soon change everything.
“We were watching the fireworks and at the end of the show, Jeremy Farrell, our farm director, called and asked me if I would like to tell Casey that he’s going to the big leagues. I didn’t know what to say, I was shocked,” Pat recalled. “I told him I’d love to. All of our family was still on the field. I was able to walk over, and I asked Casey what he was doing tomorrow. He looked at me strange. He said something about resting for his start. And I told him he would be pitching, but not here. We looked at each other and he thought I was lying to him. But that’s one thing I don’t lie about.”
Tears flowed as the realization sunk in that Casey was back in the show. He joined the Reds in Pittsburgh the next day and was spectacular in his first Major League appearance since 2018. Coming in with a 10-2 lead in the seventh, Casey pitched the final three innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced to earn his first career Major League save. It took the sting out of a tough Bats loss.
“We had a chance to win our ballgame, but we didn’t. So, we were disappointed,” Pat said. “But then I looked at my phone and I had a ton of texts, and everyone was talking about how good Casey did. Then getting to talk to him afterwards, he was very excited. It’s been quite the journey for him.”
While, yes, getting to tell his own son that he’s getting a big league callup will be a career highlight, Pat Kelly doesn’t believe that is the only son he has in Major League Baseball.
“When it’s a family member that is getting that news, it’s amazing,” Pat said. “But I also feel like all my players are my sons. So when I get to tell them they’re going up, that’s a part of me going to the big leagues with them.”
With that logic, Kelly has sent hundreds of sons to the big leagues. Now, they span the game of baseball across decades, taking with them the lessons they learned from one of the best managers in the game.