Yankees Birthday of the Day: Roberto Kelly

Roberto Kelly grew up in Panama City, where he impressed from a young age with his athleticism. Fred Ferreira, the longtime scout who also signed Bernie Williams and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, signed the 17-year-old Kelly in 1982. He was an immediate force on the basepaths and in the field but, initially, struggled at the plate, hitting below the Mendoza line in Rookie ball. By 1987, though, he'd developed some plate discipline and pop, slashing .278/.324/.435 with 13 homers and 51 stolen bases in 118 games at Triple-A. He got the call that year, joining a contending team in a lineup that featured Mattingly, Winfield, Willie Randolph, and Rickey Henderson.

The opportunities were limited at first, with Kelly appearing in just 61 games at the big-league level in his first two seasons. When Claudell Washington departed after the '88 season, Kelly took his place in center field. He was expected to play good defense and add an element of speed on the bases. What no one expected was that he would hit better with the Yankees than he had in the minors. Kelly hit above .300 in his first full season, flirting with a batting title in the early going and finding himself in the center of a mini-controversy when manager Dallas Green insisted on keeping him in the nine-hole despite his success.

Kelly's 1990 season ended up grading out as the best of his career by WAR, largely on the strength of his speed and defense as well as the volume accrued by appearing in every game.