Article: Twins To Honor Tom Kelly With Bronze Statue

[Seth Stohs]

Several members of the 1987 Minnesota Twins World Series championship team were on the 1500ESPN stage for a half-hour with Patrick Reusse on Friday night. Following the on-air portion, the players stayed on the stage along with their manager, Tom Kelly.

 

Twins President Dave St. Peter came to the stage and announced to the crowd that the Twins would be adding an eighth bronze statue to their collection surrounding Target Field. Work has begun on a bronze statue of Twins manager Tom Kelly.

 

“The Minnesota Twins are excited to have this opportunity to further celebrate and recognize the incredible career of the one-and-only Tom Kelly,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Tom’s contributions to the Twins organization and Upper Midwest baseball community are quite significant. This statue will help memorialize Tom’s greatness and ensure future generations are aware of the T.K. story.”Kelly told reporters following the announcement that he has known for a couple of weeks. They are currently working on the pose, spending a lot of time on which uniform he'll be in. There was no timeline given for completion.

 

Kelly joins several legendary Twins figures to be honored with a bronze statue including Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kent Hrbek, Calvin Griffith and the Pohlads (Carl and Eloise).

 

Five years ago, Kelly's #10 was retired by the organization.

 

As per usual, Kelly remained humble in talking about the honor, noting even his hesitance to promote it happening in previous years. He prefers to point out that the game is about the players on the field not their manager. And likely, that is why he was as successful as a manager and leader as he was.

 

Here is a live twitter feed of the announcement as well as some of the conversation with Kelly afterward.

 

 

Click here to view the article

[nmtwinsfan]

http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_images/randmid_1343147216_tkzubaz.jpg

[nmtwinsfan]

Gotta be TK rockin the zubaz, smoking a stogie.

[Riverbrian]

Well deserved

 

Are Our greatest manager ever!!!!

[wsnydes]

http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_images/randmid_1343147216_tkzubaz.jpg

My only regret is that I have but one "like" to give.

[D.C Twins]

Hopefully our current young group of players can progress and mesh into something close to the 1987 team. While I'm not optomistic about the outcome of this season, I am excited to SEE THE KIDS PLAY!

 

May Mr. Kelly hit fungos in spring training for years to come!!!

[theBOMisthebomb]

Tip of the cap to #10. Congrats!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Are greatest manager ever!!!!

STFU.

 

Billy Martin.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Hopefully our current young group of players can progress and mesh into something close to the 1987 team. While I'm not optomistic about the outcome of this season, I am excited to SEE THE KIDS PLAY!

 

May Mr. Kelly hit fungos in spring training for years to come!!!

 

If you listen to the video, Kelly acknowledges that he won't be back at spring training this year, first time in 47 years. I had heard that yesterday, but he verified it. He made mention of how much last year took out of him, so he and his wife talked about it and decided it was for his best. 

[ashbury]

If you listen to the video, Kelly acknowledges that he won't be back at spring training this year, first time in 47 years.

The back fields will not feel the same.

[HitInAPinch]

 

Well deserved

 

Our greatest manager ever!!!!

FTFY

[ashbury]

FTFY

Fixing grammar in a Riverbrian post is like repositioning the nose to be between the eyes in a Picasso portrait.

[twinssouth]

Why is Kelly's statue bronze, it should be Gold

[HitInAPinch]

As long as the statue isn't done by the guy who did the Mary Tyler Moore statue.  Hideous. 

 

http://www.marytylermoore.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Mary_Tyler_Moore_photo_5.jpg

 

http://assets.atlasobscura.com/media/W1siZiIsInVwbG9hZHMvcGxhY2VfaW1hZ2VzLzZkOGJhZjA3NWQ5Yjc2NDI3Ml83NTc1ODQxOTc2X2YwMWY0YWQwZmFfay5qcGciXSxbInAiLCJ0aHVtYiIsIngzOTA-Il0sWyJwIiwiY29udmVydCIsIi1xdWFsaXR5IDkxIC1hdXRvLW9yaWVudCJdXQ/7575841976_f01f4ad0fa_k.jpg

[tarheeltwinsfan]

MTM was one of my very favorite actresses. RIP.

[Rhino and Compass]

This statue will bring the same intensity TK does to the broadcast booth

[Doomtints]

I can't wait to see what the statue looks like.

 

Though the Eloise Pohlad statue looks nice, did she have anything to do with the Twins?