Kelly Not Giving Up on Major Goal

Mike Kelly was the 1990 college player of the year, the first three-time All-American in Arizona State history.

A 1988 graduate of Los Alamitos High, Kelly was the second player selected in the 1991 draft, by the Atlanta Braves.

He has played with four different organizations.

But outside of a 15-game stint with Chattanooga in 1995, Kelly has never batted higher than .300 with any team he has been with, minor or major.

He was an opening day starter in 1996 with Cincinnati, and 1998 with Tampa Bay, but he never took off.

It has always been back to the minors.

That’s where Kelly is now, playing right field in Colorado Springs, the triple-A affiliate of the Rockies.

Kelly, 29, has had an enigmatic career. Great college player, disappointing major leaguer. His streaks of greatness (.371 during a nine-game stretch in 1998) always found a way to be tempered (0 for 21 a few weeks later).

His career major league average, in 325 games, is .240. His career average in the minors is .248.

“It’s had a lot of ups and downs,” Kelly said of his career. “It hasn’t been ideal, but I can’t complain too bad. I’ve had some success, and I have to keep looking at the positive.”

The positive is what drives his hopes to return to the major leagues. He had 10 homers (including three two-homer games), 33 runs batted in and scored 39 runs in 108 games last season for the Devil Rays. He even set a club record with nine total bases in an early season game against Texas. “I can’t really give up on myself,” he said, “because you never know what the future holds.”

As for his inconsistency? “I’ve never gotten consistent at-bats where I could get on a hot streak,” Kelly said. “I’ve always been spot starting, pinch-hitting. It’s tough to get into a groove.”

Kelly moved from center to right field this season. He started the season batting leadoff, moved to seventh, and is back leading off. He is batting .251.

“I’ve always hit for a lot of power, which set me apart; power and speed,” Kelly said. “I guess that was the attraction [to] the major league teams. I’ve never really worried too much about my batting average.

“A lot of teams understand that as well, so they’re a little more tolerant of a lower batting average.”

Kelly has two home runs, four stolen bases and 187 at-bats this season.

ICEMAN COMETH

Fewer innings, more pressure, better results. The role of closer has fit nicely for Brian Tokarse.

Tokarse, 24, who played at Fullerton College and Cal State Fullerton and was drafted by the Angels, is enjoying a complete change of fortune in his third season of professional baseball.

Now with Class-A Winston-Salem (N.C.) in the White Sox organization, Tokarse is no longer a starter who gave up too many hits and run (his earned-run average was 5.75 last year at Lake Elsinore and Butte).

He returned to The Diamond in Lake Elsinore last week as a member of the Carolina League all-stars, having given up 15 hits in 27 innings with 33 strikeouts. With only 10 walks, he allowed fewer runners than innings pitched.

Last year, as a starter, Tokarse gave up 153 hits (and 45 walks) in 129 innings with 100 strikeouts.

“I was definitely skeptical [about being a reliever],” said Tokarse, who gave up one run against the California League all-stars. “As a reliever, you have to throw every day and have good stuff.

“When you’re a starter, you always think you’re going to make it as a starter. When they change you, it’s like, ‘I’m not sure yet.’ ”

His manager, Jerry Terrell, seems sure.

“A lot of times, scouts don’t check the makeup of kids, they see the talent and go from that,” Terrell said. “But your most important assignment as a scout is to check the makeup. And this kid has great makeup. The more pressure you put on him, the better he performs.

“And we’ve tried to put a lot of pressure on him.”

Terrell even nicknamed the right-handed Tokarse “Iceman” because of his obliviousness to pressure. Tokarse has 11 saves and a 1.45 ERA.

Tokarse was traded to the White Sox last season, along with former Katella High standout Jason Stockstill, for Charlie O’Brien.

Tokarse (6 feet 3, 200 pounds) says the White Sox put him in the bullpen because they didn’t know any better. “I was just a guy,” he said.

No longer just a guy, but some guy, Tokarse throws 93 mph and has a good slider. He could also have a long career ahead of him.