For parts of four glorious seasons, Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly was his team’s one and only No. 17. The reliever proudly donned a number that had in the past graced pitchers from franchise luminary Carl Erskine to Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, who spent one season with the club.
However, Kelly was overshadowed by the other No. 17 in Los Angeles—quite the feat considering how rarely his team is outshone. That arrangement is no longer, as Kelly has ceded his old number to designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani.
Kelly—a two-time World Series champion but never an All-Star—was realistic about the switch when he spoke to reporters at a holiday event Wednesday.
