Roberto Kelly

Roberto Conrado Kelly Gray
(Bobby)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 192 lb.

• Debut July 29, 1987
• Final Game April 18, 2000
• Born October 1, 1964 in Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, Panama

BR page

Biographical Information

Roberto Kelly was a base-stealing center fielder for the New York Yankees as a young player, and then spent many years as a journeyman outfielder, ending his career back with the Yankees in 2000.

Kelly was signed as an amateur free agent for the Yankees by scout Fred Ferreira on February 21, 1982. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1992 season, netting the Yankees long-time fixture Paul O'Neill in return. He hit over .300 with four different teams, and appeared in post-season play four times with three different teams.

In 1992, Kelly set a record by reaching first base on catcher's interference 8 times during the season; the record was broken by Jacoby Ellsbury in 2016.

He tried to make a comeback with both the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002 and the San Diego Padres in 2003 but failed to make the team out of spring training both times. He had continued to be active in the meantime, hitting .250/.368/.281 for Panama in the 2002 Intercontinental Cup. His team finished third but was stripped of its Bronze Medal when Kelly and three teammates tested positive for banned substances.

He played one season as "Bobby Kelly". As of 2007, he is in the top six among Panama-born players in terms of major league at-bats.

After his playing career ended, he became a minor league coach in the San Francisco Giants organization and was originally named as the manager of the Panamanian team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He stepped back from his role of Panama's manager only weeks before the WBC opened because he did not feel Panamanian clubs were letting their top players be available. In 2005 and 2006, he was the skipper of the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League. In 2006 he won the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year Award after producing a league-best record of 92-47, and in 2007 he was promoted to hitting and first base coach with the San Francisco Giants. He did return to Panama as manager for the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, but they failed to advance despite playing host; they lost in the finale to the Brazilian national team, which had far fewer notable names. In 2015, he moved across the diamond to the role of third base coach for the Giants and stayed in that position in 2016 as well before being replaced by Phil Nevin.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time All-Star (1992 & 1993)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1991)

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
2005	Augusta GreenJackets	South Atlantic League	77-59	3rd	San Francisco Giants
2006	Augusta GreenJackets	South Atlantic League	92-47	1st	San Francisco Giants	Lost League Finals
2007	Augusta GreenJackets	South Atlantic League	89-51	1st	San Francisco Giants	Lost in 1st round