Yanks’ Kelly Had Scare in Panama

Being a major-leaguer might have saved New York Yankees’ outfielder Roberto Kelly’s life during the turmoil this winter in his native Panama.

Kelly said he was stopped by three of then-dictator Manuel A. Noriega’s men a few days after the United States invaded Panama on Dec. 20.

“I got out of the car and one of them put a gun to my head,” Kelly said. “Then one of them recognized me and said, ‘Are you Roberto Kelly?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and they let me go.”

Kelly, who lives in Panama in the off-season, was driving to pick up his brother at the Panama Canal when the incident took place.

“Being a ballplayer saved my life,” Kelly said.

Others were not so fortunate. Kelly lost a good friend, Francisco Rodrigues, during the violence.

“He was in the streets and they shot him,” Kelly said.

The Yankees called their starting center fielder the day after the invasion to inquire about his safety and that of his family. They urged him to leave the strife-torn country.

“They wanted for me to get out, but there was no way I could have gotten out of there. The airports were closed,” Kelly said.

He plans to return to Panama after the season.

“As bad as it is down there, I like it. I grew up down there.” Kelly said.

Kelly will have his wife and 2-year-old daughter join him in New York when the season begins. His parents, three brothers and two sisters will stay in Panama. Noriega may be gone, but Kelly has other reasons to worry about the safety of his loved ones.

“I guess they’re afraid that the police are going to take over, so the police have no guns and the thieves run around,” Kelly said. “The police are afraid. There’s no police around to protect you.

“You never know. At any time a gunman can stick you up. You’d better not walk around with gold or too much money.”

Kelly lost his car in the looting after the invasion.

He said he was not unhappy about Noriega’s being deposed.

“When we really saw what he was doing, we realized he wasn’t the guy for us,” Kelly said.