:Pat Kelly (infielder)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Pat Kelly

|image=

|position=Second baseman

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1967|10|14}}

|birth_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 20

|debutyear=1991

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 5

|finalyear=1999

|finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.249

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=36

|stat3label=Run batted in

|stat3value=217

|teams=

New York Yankees ({{mlby|1991}}–{{mlby|1997}})
St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1998}})
Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|1999}})

}}

Patrick Franklin Kelly (born October 14, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball infielder who played in the major leagues for nine seasons, seven of them with the New York Yankees, one with the St. Louis Cardinals and one with the Toronto Blue Jays.{{Cite web |title=Pat Kelly Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/pat-kelly-116955 |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}

Formative years and family

Kelly was born on October 14, 1967, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and attended Catasauqua High School.Bradford, Tina. [https://www.mcall.com/1994/11/20/yankee-pat-kelly-bride-celebrate-in-bethlehem/ "Yankee Pat Kelly, Bride Celebrate in Bethlehem"], The Morning Call, November 20, 1994, accessed December 31, 2017

In 1994, Kelly married Rebecca Pontifex of Adelaide, Australia, who worked in public relations. His son, Jack, had relationship with Maddie Ziegler from 2017 to 2018, and has gained a significant following on social media sites.{{cite news |last1=Iannella |first1=Antimo |title=Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler splits with Adelaide boyfriend Jack Kelly |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/confidential/dance-moms-star-maddie-ziegler-splits-with-adelaide-boyfriend-jack-kelly/news-story/d1d83850591e86b09853bd551445e310 |access-date=25 May 2023 |work=The Advertiser |date=22 August 2018}}

Baseball career

Kelly was drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 1988 amateur draft, but did not make his playing debut at the major league level until May 20, 1991, at the age of twenty-three.

On September 29, 1995, with the Yankees battling for the AL Wild Card, Kelly hit a crucial two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Blue Jays in Toronto to cap a Yankee rally from a 3–0 deficit in the third to last game of the season. Due to Kelly's go-ahead home run, the Yankees won the game 4–3 and were able to qualify for the playoffs two days later.

Kelly played seven seasons with the Yankees (1991–1997), spent 1998 with St. Louis Cardinals, and spent the first part of the 1999 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.

He played his final MLB game on June 5, 1999, retiring on March 22, 2000.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/23/sports/transactions-420719.html |title=Transactions|work=The New York Times |date=2000-03-23 |access-date=2011-04-10}}

Kelly batted and threw right-handed. His career Major League totals were .249 batting average, 36 home runs, and 495 hits in 681 games. Kelly moved to Australia in 2001 and scouted for American baseball teams there.

In 2009, he became an assistant coach with the Australia national baseball team.Lefton, Brad. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/sports/baseball/08wbc.html "In Australia, Two Ex-Yankees Build Future for Baseball"], The New York Times, March 7, 2009, accessed December 31, 2017

At the same time, he became the general manager for the Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League team.