Merrill Kelly was pitching with the Yavapai Roughriders, electing for more experience at the community college level rather than going to the minor leagues. Little did he know, two coaches were talking about Kelly’s unique ability to deal changeups and unhittable curves. One of those coaches happened to be former San Francisco Giants scout Jack Uhey.
“(Uhey) said, ‘Look I know you might be full or whatever, but this kid can spin a breaking ball, and he just has a feel for pitching. ‘He’s right from your backyard, he went to Yavapai,’” said Pat Murphy, who coached ASU baseball at the time.
“Sure enough, the next day we did our research and called (Kelly) up and offered him a pretty significant scholarship. He came to visit on campus not too long after that, and we signed him to the deal.”
From Kelly’s discovery two hours north of his Scottdale hometown to his emergence as a key starter on the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff, the Desert Mountain alum is set to impress even more baseball enthusiasts around the country on the World Series stage. Facing the Texas Rangers, Kelly will take the ball in Game 2 Saturday on the road at Globe Life Field.
“Unbelievable. It is unbelievable,” said Cheryl Kelly, his mother who has been his biggest support throughout his career. “I am just thrilled for him. You know he always seems to be the pitcher that does really well and people say, ‘He did good, but this other guy did really well.’
“He’s not flashy, he doesn’t throw 100 miles per hour, but his ball moves all over the place and he can put it where he wants it. That’s pitching to me.”
