Casey Kelly Vs Pat Kelly Father Son Matchup At GABP

It is father versus son when the San Francisco Giants challenge the Reds on Friday at Great American Ball Park.

Pat Kelly, who has been an integral part of the Reds' player development since 2007, managing at Sarasota, Bakersfield, Pensacola and Louisville.  Kelly was a bench coach on the Reds' staff in 2007 when Pete MacKanon was the Reds' interim manager in 2007.  This year he replaced Jim Riggleman as the Reds' bench coach when Riggleman replaced Bryan Price as manager, 18 games into the season.

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Casey Kelly, his 28-year old son will start for the Giants against the Reds on Friday.  Derek Rodriguez, the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, was scheduled to start against the Reds but was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.  Casey was released by the Iowa Cubs on July 20.  The Giants signed him on July 29.

Casey Kelly was drafted in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox as shortstop out of Sarasota High School i where he was a teammate of the Reds' Scooter Gennett.

The elder Kelly worked for the Reds managing its Gulf Coast League rookie team in Sarasota.  Kelly managed against his son that season during that 2008 season.

Tonight will be different.  Pat Kelly started the season as the manager of the Triple A Louisville Bats.  When Bryan Price was fired as the Reds' manager on April 19.  Pat Kelly came to the Reds, setting the stage for the father son match up.

It may not have happened except for the fight between the Giants and Dodgers in Los Angeles Tuesday night.

Rodriguez knew the situation was about to erupt.

"Being in Puerto Rico and watching my dad over the years you kind of know stuff starts to heat up," said Rodriguez who was on the dugout steps ready to run out on the field.  "I was standing there.  I wasn't warmed up.  I just ran out.  I felt it a little when I ran out but I felt it more when I was pulling guys off.  I thought it was a cramp.  It was with me the next day and I had an MRI.  I should be alright by the weekend.  If this was an American League game I could probably pitch."

The grade one strain of Rodriguez' hamstring opened the door for the Kelly's family feud.

"We didn't know until last night," said Pat Kelly.  "They had the day off and we thought they would adjust the rotation. "It's interesting. I have the best seat in the house. In a perfect world, he throws six shutout innings and we beat the relievers.  As a competitor you want to win."

Both father and son were pumping each other for information.

"Yeah our guys were asking if he could hit.  I told them they moved him from shortstop and made him a pitcher.  There had to be some deficiencies.  I told them he was a 5'9" sidearm knuckle ball pitcher.  I had to be pretty quiet today.  I went to breakfast with him and he wanted to know about our hitters."

The Reds had the same situation last season when Luke Farrell pitched for the Reds against the Boston Red Sox, who were managed by his father John.

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"It was interesting," Pat Kelly said.  "I talked to Botch (Giants' manager Bruce Bochy) a couple times in spring because he managed his son last year.  I talked to John (Farrell).  I had his son in the Dominican and John came down to watch him.  I talked to him then.  I always talk to those guys, even Pudge (Ivan Rodriguez) because he played for me in winter ball  and Derek played for me."

"I talked to those guys because it is unique and your emotions are unique in those situations," Kelly said.

Bochy knows what Kelly is going through.

"I feel for his father," Bochy said.  "There is nothing more nerve wracking than watching you son pitch in a Major League game and you're on the field.  Of course you're on the other team. I'm sure as soon as he found out Casey was pitching, he started getting nervous.  He is going to be a lot more nervous than Casey is.  Trust me."

Bochy's son Brett pitched in seven games for the Giants in 2014 and 2015 before being granted free agency in October 2015.  He has not been signed at the age of 30.

"It's got to be pretty cool to be in the dugout, watching your son pitch in a Major League game," Bochy said.  "It's a moment he'll never forget.'

Kelly and Bochy worked together in San Diego.

"I was talking about it.  Both of them played a position too but when they got on the mound, you get more nervous," Bochy said.  "The time I brought Brett in from the bullpen, I didn't realize that was the first time that ever happened, ever in Major League baseball.  It was an emotional time for me. I was nervous, excited.  I just remembered telling him how to pitch (Juan) Uribe.  I told him to throw strike one and get him to chase but he didn't chase."

Brett Bochy walked Uribe, who played for Bruce Bochy with the Giants.

The Kelly family will be represented in the stands by Mrs. Kelly the wife and mother, their older son Chris, who is a scout with San Diego, their daughter and Casey's fiance.

"They're not here to see me," Pat Kelly said with a nervous laugh.



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