Just a few months ago, the Minnesota Twins and fans of the organization, held their breath as former manager Tom Kelly had suffered a stroke. With his health in jeopardy and his age rising, TK’s future presence with the organization was in question. Today he provided plenty of answers showing up for Spring Training in Fort Myers.
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With players not required to show up for the first full squad workout until tomorrow, Tom Kelly beat portions of the organization into camp. Following his stroke, he will need to ease back into things, but appears to have been given the green light.
Tom Kelly said he got to Hammond Stadium at 7 a.m. Thursday. Flew into town on Wednesday afternoon.
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) February 26, 2015
Typically hitting fungoes to players and providing instructional help alongside the Twins coaching staff, it is good to see Tom Kelly back on the field. Alongside new manager Paul Molitor, TK will provide even more of that leadership that the Twins have preached this offseason. While TK is back in camp and able to provide a wealth of knowledge to Molitor and players around the organization, not everything will be the same however.
TK plans to hit grounders for Good Morning America as usual on Saturday, but maybe at a slower pace. "Just can't be Superman." #MNTwins
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) February 26, 2015
Unfortunately, Kelly mentioned that he would likely be stepping away from working Twins games in the booth for Fox Sports North. For those who have heard TK on television, you are more than well aware he is great. With both his knowledge of the game, and his extra insights, any game TK was on instantly became must watch baseball.
Tom Kelly said he's likely retiring from doing Fox Sports broadcasts.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) February 26, 2015
There are some rumblings that FSN is still talking to TK about doing a couple of games, but losing him from the booth is unfortunate for everyone. As Kelly continues to focus on his health, it is understandable that he would like to take some responsibilities off of his plate. He did also mentioned that condensing his thoughts into 18 second time periods is tough, but probably not something that bothers any of the viewing audience.
At the end of the day, it’s great to see TK back with the Twins in Fort Myers. While he may be taking it easy, his presence is more than welcomed.
Next: A Trip Through Renovated Hammond Stadium
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