Roberto Kelly

Roberto Conrado Kelly (born October 1, 1964) is a Panamanian professional baseball manager and former outfielder who currently serves as the manager for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1982 and went on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) for them (1987–1992 and 2000), the Cincinnati Reds (1993–1994), Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos (1995), Los Angeles Dodgers (1995), Minnesota Twins (1996–1997), Seattle Mariners (1997), and Texas Rangers (1998–1999). During his playing days in Panama, he was known as La Sombra, Spanish for Shadow. After his playing career, he managed the Giants' Single-A affiliate, the Augusta GreenJackets and later became a coach for the Giants' major league team.

Professional career New York Yankees (1987–1992) Kelly made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 1987. He broke up Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb's perfect game at SkyDome in 1989 with a two-out double in the ninth inning. He was named to the 1992 American League All-Star team.

Cincinnati Reds (1993–1994) After the 1992 season, the Yankees traded Kelly to the Cincinnati Reds for Paul O'Neill. With the Reds, Kelly made the 1993 National League All-Star team.

Atlanta Braves (1994) On May 29, 1994, the Reds traded Kelly to the Atlanta Braves for Deion Sanders.

Montreal Expos (1995) The Braves traded Kelly along with Tony Tarasco and Esteban Yan to the Montreal Expos for Marquis Grissom on April 6, 1995.

Los Angeles Dodgers (1995) The following month, the Expos traded Kelly and Joey Eischen to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Henry Rodríguez and Jeff Treadway.

Minnesota Twins (1996–1997) A free agent after the season, Kelly signed with the Minnesota Twins for the 1996 season.

In 14 seasons, he played in 1,337 games and had 4,797 at bats, 687 runs, 1,390 hits, 241 doubles, 30 triples, 124 home runs, 585 RBI, 235 stolen bases, 317 walks, a .290 batting average, a .337 on-base percentage and a .430 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .985 fielding percentage as an outfielder. (Kelly played ten games for the 2000 American League East-winning New York Yankees, but played his final game on April 18, long before the playoffs.)

Coaching career On November 16, 2007, Kelly was hired as the San Francisco Giants' new first base coach and hitting instructor. As a manager of the Augusta GreenJackets, he gained a reputation for his aggressive approach to baserunning.

On October 1, 2025, Kelly joined the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League as the team's manager.

Personal life Kelly is married to Blanca Gonzalez Kelly, sister of Juan González, and has seven sons, named Roberto Jr., Roberto Bryan, Xavier, Ryan, Johaun, Jacques and Jadrien. He also has three daughters named Charlene, Rhianna and Bianca.