ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s a good thing that back in 2016, Merrill Kelly stepped away to the bathroom during lunch at an American restaurant in Incheon, South Korea.
Kelly had just announced to his agent, Adam Karon; his wife, Bre; and his brother Reid that after two years of pitching in South Korea, he had reached his limit. He wanted to return to affiliated baseball in North America, even if it meant taking a minor-league deal.
After Kelly left the table, his agent turned to the right-hander’s wife and brother and delivered a blunt message.
“Do not let him do that,” Karon said.
Karon knew that by staying in South Korea, Kelly could make far more money than he would on a minor-league deal. Kelly reluctantly agreed and remained overseas, but not a day would pass without him thinking about eventually reaching the majors. He even envisioned himself sitting at the podium in the interview room after a postseason game, talking to reporters.
Dominating a World Series game?
“I dreamt of it,” Kelly told me in his postgame interview on Fox. “But I think at that point, that was all it was, a dream.”
Merrill Kelly had the performance of his life tonight in Game 2 of the #WorldSeries
The @dbacks starter spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal about his journey to this moment
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