It’s a well-known fact that left-handers and relievers are both a bit strange sometimes. Combine the two and you get people such as Joe Kelly, who definitely has some quirks to him.
Kelly battled control issues throughout 2020, walking a career-worst 6.3 batters per nine innings. Things have turned around in 2021, and through 16 innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever’s walks per nine are a career-low 2.3.
To what does he owe this success? According to manager Dave Roberts, it’s the fact that Kelly has an alter ego, Joseph, who is a strike thrower.
Roberts had expanded on Kelly’s alter ego after Friday’s game.
“We call him Joseph now,” Roberts said, via Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue. “He’s a strike thrower and a three-pitch guy; the fastball, curveball, changeup.”
Look, if it works, you can’t argue with results. So far, it’s working for Kelly, at least in the strike-throwing department. Now we just need to find out if this whole confrontation was the work of Joe or Joseph.
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