Father-son duo of Pat, Casey Kelly make history in Louisville Bats win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - The father-son trip to a baseball park is as much of a summer tradition as any other.

Louisville Bats manager Pat Kelly and his son Casey likely have the best example of it you could think of.

"It just doesn't get any better," Pat Kelly said.

How could it? Shortly after reaching 2,000 career wins, the longtime Louisville manager watched one of his sons pitch for the Bats for the first time. Casey Kelly, a 34-year-old who recently signed with the organization, started a 4-3 win over Charlotte on Sunday.

"It's a dream come true," Casey Kelly said.

Back on July 20, the pitcher said farewell to Korea after a successful six-year run in the Korea Baseball Organization. He led the KBO in wins in 2022 before winning a championship there in 2023.

His team, the LG Twins, sent him off in style with an emotional ceremony. Pat Kelly also had an emotional night, as he watched a lengthy tribute video partly featuring Casey to celebrate his career milestone.

But the veteran has probably written thousands more lineups and pitching rotation projections. This time around, it feels a lot different.

"I've been able to write the Kelly name in the last couple nights, and so that that's when it really kind of hit home," Pat Kelly said. "And I still don't think I've really totally grasped it."

Louisville began to make a lot of sense as Casey's next stop. He had to wait for a bit on waivers before making his decision.

"The perfect place for me was going to be here," Casey Kelly said. "Obviously, my dad being the manager, and working with Virgil, the pitching coach, is something that I really look forward to. And being with the Cincinnati Reds, it's been a part of my life."

There is not a coach who knows him better. But even Pat Kelly, who is in his 35th season, needed some time to adjust to seeing his little boy who would hang around various dugouts become the guy running out of it to take the mound.

"He'd be in in uniform helping the grounds crew and then hanging out in the clubhouse," Pat Kelly remembered. "When he four or five, he used to drive a little mini van around and deliver water to the umpires. And you couldn't even see his head. You just see this hand stick up through the roof."

On Sunday, it stuck out to take the ball and try to pitch his dad's team to a victory. Casey Kelly pitched three innings and gave up just one hit along with three walks, but also no runs. The Bats later walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to cap off a perfect day for the Kelly family.

"To be able to play on his team, and for him to manage me, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Dinner together is not. But that is something they have a tradition for.

"Whoever makes the invitation pays for the dinner," Pat Kelly said.

"So, you want to go to dinner after the game," Casey Kelly asked.

"I do, you're paying," Pat Kelly replied with a laugh.