Speaking of names, remember Dan Kelly? Kelly was chosen by the Pride during the 2000 camp free-agent draft, a young former collegian looking to make his pro debut. At the time, he fit the salary structure at the low end of a roster top-heavy with veterans.
But Hobson soon realized that the lefty fireballer, who pitched at Oklahoma State, wasn’t going to get the work with the Pride he’d need to be effective. By keeping him, Hobson reasoned, it would have hurt his career.
So Kelly’s agent, Andy May, upon the player’s release, got Kelly into the Atlanta Braves organization.
It was a great move. The 22-year-old went 1-0 with a 2.37 earned run average in 12 games, all in relief, with Class A Macon (Ga.) of the South Atlantic League, after a short stint with Jamestown (N.Y.) of the New York-Penn League. He had allowed four runs in two innings with Nashua, pitching perhaps two levels above where he needed to be.
This year, he’d allowed just three earned runs in 19 innings (1.42 ERA) with Class A Myrtle Beach, Atlanta’s Carolina League affiliate, before being placed on the disabled list on May 3 with tendinitis in his left shoulder.
“I’m glad it worked out for him,” Pride manager Butch Hobson said. “We just couldn’t give him enough work here.”
Tom King can be reached at 594-6468.
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