The Quakes – the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers – gave the first 1,500 fans to arrive at the ballpark a bobblehead, and Kelly himself signed a pair. The Quakes won’t be the Dodgers’ affiliate team in 2026 following the formation of the Ontario Tower Buzzers, but came through with a fantastic bobblehead for the Dodgers’ fan favorite.
“2025 marked the Quakes’ final season as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they enter a new era with the Los Angeles Angels,” Benjamin Hill of MLB.com wrote. “One of the last pieces of Dodgers memorabilia produced by the team was their Joe Kelly Chaquetas bobblehead. Chaquetas was the team’s Copa de la Diversión identity, inspired by Kelly’s famous jersey-for-jacket swap with a mariachi musician playing at Dodger Stadium.”
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Who is Joe Kelly?
Kelly played as a relief pitcher for the Dodgers from 2019-21, then returned for a second stint in 2023 and played until 2024. He won three World Series in his career, one with the Red Sox in 2018 and two more with the Dodgers in 2020 and 2024.
During his five seasons with the Dodgers, Kelly made 161 appearances and posted an ERA of 3.72 through 147.2 innings pitched.
Kelly became a fan favorite in Los Angeles for his passionate, fiery personality and memorable moments, like the pouty face he made toward the Houston Astros in 2020.
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Is Joe Kelly still playing?
The right-hander announced his retirement in December at the Baseball is not a boring podcast with co-host Rob Bradford.
“I don’t play” Kelly said.
“There’s no such thing as retirement for athletes. Retiring is something my grandmother did. Let’s get rid of the word retirement, it’s used for people who served in the military, for people who worked until they were 65. You deserve to retire, athletes don’t.”
The Dodgers also took to social media to congratulate the veteran on his retirement.
“Congratulations Joe Kelly on 13 seasons in the Majors full of unforgettable moments. You will always have a home in Dodger Stadium, Champ!” the Dodgers wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Although Kelly will no longer walk onto the mound at Dodger Stadium, the memories he created for fans and the two World Series titles he helped bring to the city will live on in fans’ hearts forever.
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn images
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