Irreverent and beloved St. Louis Cardinal reliever announces retirement

The last remaining link to the 2013 National League Pennant champion St. Louis Cardinals is allegedly retiring.

Joe Kelly, the final player in Major League Baseball from the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals, announced his retirement on the Baseball isn't Boring Podcast with Rob Bradford. The 37-year-old Kelly didn't say he's retiring in as many words, but he did say that he's not playing.

“Retiring is like, something that my grandmother did….I’m sorry all you people out there watching this that work a real job. You guys deserve to retire, athletes don’t,” Kelly said.  “We just stop [expletive] playing, okay? Let’s cancel the word ’retirement.’ It’s used for people who [expletive] served in the military, used for people who worked until 65…When athletes are done playing, just say ’Congratulations, they’re no longer playing.’”

As irreverent as always, Kelly made it quite clear that he's no longer playing baseball. He didn't receive a contract for the 2025 season despite holding out for one from the Los Angeles Dodgers. His final year on the field came in 2024 with the Dodgers when he threw 32 innings with a 4.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

Kelly was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Riverside. He made his debut three years later in June 10, 2012, throwing five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts. Altogether, Kelly played for the Cardinals for only three years. He posted a career-best 3.25 ERA from 2012 through 2014 with 179 strikeouts in 266 innings.

Joe Kelly's calling card was his upper-90s fastball, fiery attitude, and emotional intensity. He was an intimidating reliever on the mound, and his presence struck fear in his opponents. Cardinal fans of the 2010s will fondly remember his rec specs, playoff intensity, and intense standoff against Scott Van Slyke in the 2013 NLCS after the National Anthem.

Kelly was an essential part of the Cardinals' bullpen in the 2013 postseason. He posted a 3.38 ERA across 5.1 innings with five strikeouts in the NLDS against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He threw 11 innings in the NLCS against the Dodgers that year with a 4.91 ERA. He was also strong in the World Series against the Red Sox, throwing 5.1 innings of 3.38 ERA ball.

Kelly was traded at the 2014 MLB trade deadline to the Boston Red Sox along with another fan favorite in Allen Craig. John Lackey came back the Cardinals way, as the Redbirds were looking to bolster their rotation down the stretch.

The right-handed flamethrower would play for the Red Sox for five seasons. He then pitched for the Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and finally the Dodgers once again. Kelly has two World Series rings to his name, one with the Red Sox in 2018 and another with the Dodgers in 2020.

Kelly was the final link to the 2013 NLCS champion Cardinals after recent retirements of Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, and Lance Lynn.

Congratulations to Joe Kelly for "no longer playing" professional baseball, and we wish him the best in his post-playing life.