LA Dodgers: Joe Kelly sends message Walker Buehler should have

We knew the first meeting between the Dodgers and Astros since the trash-can banging scandal came to light was going to provide some fireworks. Thank you, Joe Kelly.

I am an avid reader. One book I would like to read is the Baseball Book of Unwritten Rules. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly has read this book. He understands this book and some may say he lives by this book. Good for you Joe Kelly.

In the much-anticipated duel between the Dodgers and the Houston Astros; the first such meeting since news broke over the offseason the Astros cheated their way to the 2017 World Series, we knew there would be some excitement.

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After getting to the World Series back in ’17, the Astros used the same strategies, along with some over-exaggerated sharing of pitch tipping, to defeat the Dodgers in seven games of the Fall Classic.

There was a lot of chirping back and forth through social media and newsprint outlets, providing no shortage of good old-fashioned bulletin board material.

The Dodgers, for good reason, believe they were cheated out of World Series rings. They have been chomping at the bit, some of them, for their day in the sun (under the roof) with the hated Astros.

As the Baseball Gods do, they gave us this matchup early in the season. I have not read the book, though I am pretty sure there is no statute of limitations on retaliating for something which happened two years ago at the World Series level.

Walker Buehler started the game for the Dodgers and went through the lineup a couple times. He had ample opportunities to send a message to Astros hitters.

He chose not to.

Enter Joe Kelly. Kelly was a member of the Boston Red Sox back in 2017, but that means nothing. He is a baseball player, who must have been raised on the unwritten rules of the game.

Either that or he is as tired as the rest of us of seeing Alex Bregman hit home runs off of tipped pitches (remember Stephen Strasburg, Game 6, 2019 WS) and then blatantly tell the on-deck hitter what to look for.

Baseball is a gentleman’s game and stealing signs happens, it’s as much a part of the game as peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Telling each teammate one by one what to look for from the pitcher as the camera focuses in on you, makes a mockery of the game.

For this reason, Joe Kelly threw a 96mph fastball over the head of Bregman. Sending a message. He later threw pitches up and in on Yuli Gurriel (remember Gurriel’s dugout reaction after hitting a home run off Yu Darvish in the ’17 WS).

After Kelly struck out Carlos Correa, he jawed awhile. There is nothing sweeter than sending a message and backing it up on the field.

Joe Kelly earned some respect from his teammates with these antics and he proved he understands the unwritten rules of baseball.

I haven’t read the book, but I think the next move is up to the Houston Astros pitcher to defend his star hitters.