Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer might have Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly on his mind Wednesday when he takes the mound against the Kansas City Royals.
At the very least, the former UCLA standout will have Kelly on his feet.
Earlier in the day, Bauer tweeted a video in which he displayed the custom cleats he planned to wear on the mound in the afternoon game.
The left shoe features a drawing of Kelly making the pouting face he used to mock Carlos Correa after striking out the Houston Astros shortstop on July 28.
The right shoe features the words "Free Joe Kelly," a reference to the five-game suspension (originally eight games) Kelly received from Major League Baseball for throwing a pitch in the area of Alex Bregman's head and later taunting Correa, which led to the benches clearing that night in Houston.
Bauer has been outspoken in his criticism of the Astros for the sign-stealing scheme they used during their 2017 championship season, referring to them during spring training as "hypocrites" and "cheaters."
So in Bauer's eyes, Kelly is the Greatest Of All Time, as shown in the shirts he's selling that feature a goat in a baseball uniform wearing Kelly's signature glasses and making what has quickly become Kelly's signature facial expression.
Anyone who orders the shirt today will be eligible to win Bauer's cleats honoring Kelly, with proceeds going to the Dodgers pitcher's charity of choice.
"The pouty face that broke the Internet," reads the description of the shirt on Bauer's website. "Free Joe 'The Goat' Kelly."
According to an ESPN report, MLB has told Bauer and the Reds that the pitcher could be subject to discipline, including removal from the game, if he wears the cleats.
