Latest / Chasing Baseball Dreams / Episode #12: House of Cards Star Michael Kelly on Baseball, Fatherhood & Raising a Ball Player

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Episode #12: House of Cards Star Michael Kelly on Baseball, Fatherhood & Raising a Ball Player · Chasing Baseball Dreams

• Bobby Minor: And welcome to Chasing Baseball Dreams. ⁓ today, okay, I say it every time, how excited I am. ⁓ I'm really excited because I've been talking to a bunch of really cool Michael Kelly: Yeah. Bobby Minor: baseball people. ⁓ you know, the doors have been open. It's just kind of very humbling and blow me away. But today I'm joined by four-time Emmy nominated actor Michael Kelly. ⁓ you might know him as Doug Stamper from House of Cards. Certainly one of my favorite characters and I'm I'm a huge House of Cards fan. You've seen him on Jack Ryan, Lioness, the Penguin, long list of movies and television shows, ⁓ like Everest. But today we're not gonna talk we're not gonna talk much Hollywood. ⁓ Michael grew up in Georgia, diehard Braves fan, and now he's the baseball dad himself. His son Clint plays. ⁓ just began his freshman year in high school. And Michael, I know you've talked about how much you love being at the field, going to practice and watching games and all that. And what makes your story interesting to me is trying to balance a career that can take you halfway around the world for months at a time. So today we'll just talk about, you know, baseball, being a dad, you know, missing moments and making the ones, you know, when you're there, can't and what this game has meant to you and your family. So Michael, man, I really appreciate you taking the time taking the time. Michael Kelly: ⁓ man, thank thank thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Bobby Minor: So let's let's talk up. I mean talk, talk up. Let's talk about ⁓ I know you said baseball really kind of grabbed you when you were probably around your son Clint's age. ⁓ you grew up a Braves fan, Dale Murphy actually lived near you for a while. So what was it about baseball that got its hooks into you and never let go? Michael Kelly: Yeah. think you know, going back probably my dad, right? I mean, we all or the majority of us emulate your father and you wanna be like your dad, you know, and my dad was a Braves fan and watched the Braves every night, you know, we had TBS thanks to Ted Turner and we could you know, you could watch every game whenever, wherever, right? It was but y you know, you see your dad watching, you see your dad following you see your dad be passionate about something and And I think you just sort of follow in those footsteps. And then of course, my son, exact same thing. You know, I mean, my son's born in New York City, raised in New York City. We moved up to to Bedford, New York, you know, about four years ago. So he's been in New York his whole life. He is a diehard Braves fan. ⁓ so I think it's you know, it's that thing of, you know, you look up to your father and and you get that from him. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good stuff. I mean Same thing here. I'm a Rangers fan, diehard Rangers fan. I remember actually falling in love with it listening to games on the radio with my grandmother. But it's funny you mentioned TBS. ⁓ I was talking to somebody the other day. We're talking about back in the day, like literally, if you wanted to watch baseball, you either had to watch the Braves on TBS or the Cubs on WGN. You know, and all the Cubs games were day games because they didn't have lights back then. So that's a lot of you watching this may not have any idea what we're talking about, but that the struggle is real. Michael Kelly: Cubs. Right. Totally. Ha ha ha. Bobby Minor: The struggle is real. ⁓ so okay, I know you've like you said, you've been a ba a Braves fan forever, but now you're also a baseball dad. How how's the game changed for you once you be you know it became your son out there that you're watching instead of just your team that you're rooting for? Michael Kelly: Yeah. Yeah. I think it just made my love of the game grow exponentially. You know, seeing your kid out there do what, you know, my son loves it. My son lives for the game. He absolutely loves it. Works on his own, works hard, like loves it like that, you know. seeing that seeing your son out there do what he loves and do it well. I mean, there's not many greater feelings. It just ⁓ it just made my love of baseball go up, you know. And I love I love watching him more than I like watching the Braves these days. You know, I I watch ⁓ both a always. If I don't watch a Braves game, I read about it in the morning or I you know, I I'm constantly looking at it. ⁓ but watching your kid play and do what he loves, there's there's nothing like it. Bobby Minor: Yeah, no doubt. I'm I'm living that myself. ⁓ what position does Clint play? Michael Kelly: He is he was short and when he moved up a level to play on the high school team last year as an eighth grader, they moved him to second. ⁓ so he's a pitcher and second baseman right now. Bobby Minor: So let me guess, is his favorite player Dansby Swanson? Michael Kelly: Dansby was for a hot minute. That's my daughter's favorite player. ⁓ and you can you can guess why. She's she she'll she likes the Braves, she watches the Braves, but she loves looking at Dansby. But no, my son, ⁓ Acuna and Michael Harris. Acunya, he was thirteen forever until he got to his high school and a kid already had thirteen, so he took Michael Harris's number. But he he loves those guys. Yeah. Bobby Minor: ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Okay. ⁓ okay. All right. So who who's your all time favorite Braves player? Michael Kelly: Probably probably Murph. ⁓ you know, Chipper Jones obviously, you know, I mean I took when Clint Clint was born months old and I we were living in New York and I knew it was Chipper's last time in at City not City at Shea back in Sh I think it was still Shea at the time. Anyway, it was his last game in New York. Bobby Minor: Okay. Yeah. Michael Kelly: And I was like, Clint was just born and I said to my wife, I was like, We gotta take Clint to go see ⁓ Chipper. You know, this is it, man. He's gotta be able to say that he saw Chipper Jones play baseball. And so I remember Chipper came up to bat his last of bat, and I just held my son up. He was a baby, like months old. I held him up, put his head in the direction of the plate and was like, You saw Chipper's last of bat in New York, you know, you got to see him play before he ⁓ before he retired. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Michael Kelly: So Chipper Chipper's obviously, you know, those years were just fun as hell. But but Murph, you know, he was my neighbor in the neighborhood there and Murphy and I are still buddies and Frenchie too, man. Frenchie and I are good friends. And so Jeff Frank Corps is a you know, we went to rival high schools there in Georgia and we're good buddies as well. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. So did you play baseball growing up? Michael Kelly: I didn't. Nope. Not I I remember playing one season real young. I we were living in Houston at the time, and so it was prior to fifth grade. ⁓ when we moved to Georgia when I was in fifth grade. And I remember kicking rocks in the outfield. That I vividly remember it. And just not had zero interest. None whatsoever. I was a runner in high school and college. I was a cross country runner. Bobby Minor: So I'm not guessing you were ⁓ Michael Kelly: ⁓ but no I I was I guess I was very bad at baseball would be my guess and ⁓ fo thank god I found running. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Well everybody well I always say everybody's path is different. So and some of those parents out there, you know, they need to let let their kid kind of find his path. ⁓ it's funny when you when you're mentioning taking Clint to see Chipper, it ⁓ my wife was pregnant with my oldest son, May first, nineteen ninety one, and we were at Nolan Ryan Seventh No Hitter. So, you know, kind of the same concept by time said technically you were there, you know. You didn't get to see it, but yeah, yeah. Michael Kelly: Exactly. That's really cool. Bobby Minor: ⁓ I don't know why you I was just made me think of some old Braves memories. Like I remember when Bob Horner hit four home runs in a game. ⁓ years ago. You obviously years ago. So ⁓ Yeah, yeah, yeah. Michael Kelly: Mm. Loved him, man. Loved him. Legend. Bobby Minor: ⁓ lots lots of great race players throughout the years for sure. So ⁓ so you've said like when you're at home, you're at every one of Clint's practices, you stay for the whole practice, you're at every game. ⁓ so what do you love so much about watching your son play? I mean I know you kind of touched on it little bit, but Michael Kelly: I think it's just, you know, it's that thing, right? Like, you know, I assume the same reason my parents loved seeing me in my first college play, you know, when I when I fell into acting there, and seeing them afterwards with tears in their eyes, you know, and just it's it's that thing. When you see your kid doing what they love more than anything, there's there's just nothing like that. There's no it's just he's in his place, man. He's in his happy place. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: And you know it and you see it as a parent and the ups, the downs, all that shit. Like it's d none of it matters, right? You you get to see your kid in his element. That's his there is nothing he would rather do. And so when you see your child who you love to to pieces, you know, like you see him doing what they love, it's it's everything, man. It's everything. And I just love the game. I love, you know, I love the families, I love the camaraderie, the community. I love all of it. It's just Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: It's a beautiful place to be, man. Who doesn't love watching baseball? Bobby Minor: I I agree. I agree with you there. ⁓ so okay. Michael Kelly: Now I can't go to practices anymore, which kinda sucks 'cause now he's in the high school and they you th all the dads will will usually get there about a half hour before pick up and watch the end, but they don't, you know used to be I would go and, you know, help and, you know, be there, but n you know, once they get older you you're out of the picture with that shit, so I can only help at home. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah, no, I I yeah, I I I can relate to that as well. ⁓ so is it different for you? I mean you're I mean, you're Michael Kelly and I mean like so when you show up do they treat you like Michael Kelly the actor or they just treat you as Clint's dad? Michael Kelly: Yeah, Clint's dad. It's nobody treats me any differently, thankfully. ⁓ we have a really great community and everybody knows everybody everyone knows what I do. Ever you know, a lot of people watch Linus or they watch Toss of Cards or they watch Jack Ryan and they're fans of it. ⁓ but I think maybe, you know, just at the very beginning it was like, ⁓ that's that's weird. That dude's one of the dads. That's weird. And now it's just, you know. See me out there and I'm I'm helping, you know, li the prior to his high school years line the field and I would, you know, do the mound and I did all the work on the field. I love that shit. I love being a part of it. So I think if you are the community, you can't help but be treated any any different than anybody else, you know. Bobby Minor: Yeah. I remember ⁓ my son, you know, we live in Fort Worth in in the Dallas Fort Worth area and he picked up with the team. I think it was playing in a tournament in Houston, and like I come out of the concession stand and I'm standing there face to face with Goldberg, the wrestler. You know, and it's just it was just weird, you know what I mean? Like you don't expect to see somebody like that there. So I'd probably react his son was playing, you know, ⁓ different age group, but you know, it's just Goldberg standing So I guess I'd probably be the exact same way, you know. Hey, there's Doug Stamper or you know. Michael Kelly: Yeah. So so and and that's it. Sometimes like at the tournaments, right? We'll go away to a tournament and that's where you you're treated differently or your people are like, Holy shit Well, I just watched you last night, you know, like just kind of because they because what like you, like what you're not expecting to see anyone other than us dads, right? ⁓ and and so you're taken aback by it, yeah. Bobby Minor: ⁓ Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. So what's what's your what's your favorite role that you've ever played? Michael Kelly: Ooh, that's a tough one. I mean, my the most fun I've ever had is Jack Ryan, like hands down. The the three of us are very, very close friends in real life. The producers on that we're all we are a tight knit family and we travel the world and we get to go all these crazy places. and we stay at the nicest hotels and we fly the nicest, you know, delta everywhere. It's so it's really fun. Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Michael Kelly: ⁓ and it's a fun character to play. obviously artistically, ⁓ Doug Stamper was, you know i i i i I received critical acclaim for that, which changed my career. And so on one hand, that's my favorite role. And then now being on Lioness, you know, I I get to work with Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kim and I sit at that table with three Academy Award winners and I'm just like, ⁓ my god, this is crazy, man. Just crazy. So these those are three of my favorites for sure. But then you go back to Dawn of the Dead, like that that that character CJ, that was one of my first big movies, ⁓ a decent sized role in a big movie, and that helped change things and Clintiswood. I I don't know, man. It's really hard to to put it on one, I think, you know. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. Yeah. If you so if you had the choice, you had the option to play any any baseball player past or present in a movie, who would you play? Michael Kelly: Ooh, that's a great question, man. You know what's funny? You know what's really funny actually, is that you know Snicker, obviously, right? So Snicker was on this high school team and there's this great book, and I'm I'm blanking on the name of it because it was like four years ago that I had posted something on social media about Snicker and how happy I was he was. It was in the early days of his Braves tenure. I was so happy for him because here's this guy, a lifer, been with the Braves his entire career. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: And was given the chance to be the skipper. And someone in that Braves ⁓ Tw Twitter X, whatever sphere was like, Have you ever read the book about his high school team? And I was like, No. And they sent me the link. I read the book. I was like, holy shit, this is a great movie, and I want to make this movie. It was about this English teacher from Chicago, never had done anything with baseball. Was brought to this small town and I'm blanking on where it was, let's say Nebraska or something. And he became the the high school science teacher and but he had to coach the baseball team. Never done anything to do with baseball in his life. Took these ragtag group of kids and they went to state. It was the great they, you know, with the two bats that they had. It was just this beautiful period story. And I was like, I gotta tell the story. And I go and I I reach out to my attorney and I was like, I want the rights to this book. It's very obscure, little known book. And they were like, ⁓ the writer wants to talk to you. And I talked to the writer, and they're like, he was like, Great, man, this sounds awesome. Let's do it. And, you know, it was a five grand or something I was offering for the give me six months to try and get something done with this. I'll write the script off. And long story short, about two months passed, and I was like, Hey man, what to my attorney? What's going on? He's like, Let me check in. It is weird. He was like, We had a deal and And I guess what had happened was they they ⁓ they they I guess they used my offer to go to somebody like you know somebody big. So anyways, that's the story I would have told. That's the baseball player story I wanted to tell more than anything. But if I had to pick a player, sorry for the very long-winded answer, it's just an interesting story. I figured by mm mm Bobby Minor: ⁓ no, I love it. Yeah. Netflix probably bought it, so we'll see it on Netflix. Michael Kelly: Me being my age, it's only gonna be a skipper that I could play now. But if you could take me back a ways, I don't know. I don't know who I would do. That's it's funny 'cause my favorite players I couldn't play because they're black, you know. Some of my all-time favorites, Ken Griffey and Junior and Hank Aaron. You know, I'd like to tell I would like to go back and tell a period story like when Hank Aaron was coming. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Michael Kelly: And and and and the social circumstances under which that that howl happened. That would be a dope story. Bobby Minor: I think that would be Really amazing because I mean, you know, and and I get it, but like, you all the emphasis seems to be on, you know, like the Jackie Robinson story and all that. But there are a lot of players that are great players. I you know, I would imagine Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, guys like that that had to endure just as much, you know, but because Jackie was first. I remember I remember doing ⁓ a ⁓ book report on Hank Aaron when I was in elementary school, you know, and he was how he used to back cross handed, you know, when he you know, when he first started playing and everything. So I think that would be an amazing story. Michael Kelly: Mm-hmm. Ha ha. Bobby Minor: Man, that's that's something that's really cool. ⁓ so ⁓ yeah. See, there it is. So yeah. ⁓ you gotta jump on this one though before somebody else does. Yeah. Michael Kelly: Yeah. Good name too, Hammer. Like just the movie's called Hammer. Exactly. Bobby Minor: So you mentioned like Jack Ryan getting to travel all over the world. So your career creates something most baseball parents don't deal with at that same level. You know, you might be on location for months, halfway around the world, while your son's season is happening, you know, right here back home. So how do you handle knowing like there are games and moments that you're gonna miss? And how do you stay present as his dad when you physically can't be there? Michael Kelly: Yeah, it's tough, man. It's the hardest thing about my job. ⁓ it it's really tough. And thank God for Game Changer. I'll give a shout out to Game Changer, man. That's ⁓ it saves me and it's it's funny because ⁓ whether I'm in Texas or ⁓ Dubai, whatever it is, ⁓ the craziest times of night in Dubai, you know and you know, I'm screaming in my hotel room like, Let's go! Like it just I know people in the hotel rooms next to me are just like, What is he doing over there? like Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Michael Kelly: You know, and I'm watching the if there's no live feed, I'm watching the dots go around the the bag, you know. So I stay very involved and I talk to him usually before and after all his games if I can, if I'm not physically working, if I'm just away. ⁓ but it's hard. It's it's really hard. It's it's really hard to miss some of those big moments, you know? ⁓ but it's it's life. And on the flip side of it, here I was this year, we finished Lioness back in Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: I'm gonna say back in it, like April. And I've had, I mean, I've had to go do press here and there, little things, but I've had since April until like I said, I'm going back to work in a couple weeks. I've had the whole summer off. I had the whole baseball season off. He's already started fall ball, and I'm I'm starting to go to those games. So it's there is a nice flip side that when I am home, I'm home 24 hours a day. You know, I'm here in the mornings, I'm here at night, I'm I'm always here. And so I I often joke with my son, you know, that a lot of dads who work nine to five, I'm actually around ten times more than them. Sure, I'll be gone for at the worst case six weeks at a time sometimes. But if you count up all the hours, I'm I'm I'm around a lot more because I get those long stretches or I'll get to come home for two weeks and be present every single day all day, you know, on the middle of a job. So It's but it's tough to miss moments, sure. Yeah, really tough. Bobby Minor: Yeah. S what's what's the car ride home after a game look like with Michael Kelly dad? Michael Kelly: I just scream at him the whole no I'm kidding. ⁓ I saw something recently and it's full on duck's hair just stared him in the mirror like, ⁓ for four, huh? ⁓ no, it's I saw something recently that I shared with him. I I saw it on social media and it was, you know, one of these dads or baseball podcasts, whatever, and he said the most important thing that he loves to do is the 30 minutes. Bobby Minor: You go full you go full Doug Stamper on him? Yeah. Michael Kelly: before and the thirty minutes after no phones, right? So the thirty leading up to the game and the thirty post the game, don't get on your phone. Just sit in the car. And I've said this to him several times, it takes a lot for it to sink into a teenager, you know. But I was like and we don't have to talk about it. You want to talk about the game, we talk about the game. If you don't want to talk about the game, we don't talk about the game. I'll ask a question, if he wants to answer it, great. If he doesn't I respect that and and we can move on. ⁓ i I I try to let it be his Tough as a parent, but you try to let it be his time and his space. But I just don't want him on a phone 'cause I want him to live in that moment and and and think about what he did or didn't do, you know. Not not tough on him, just rather than just dicking off and getting to know a screen. Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's hard, man. It's hard. It's definitely different than I mean, I'm sure I got you by a few years at least. So but you know, when we were growing up, it was just different. We didn't have Yeah. Well, I just turned 60. I just turned 60, Michael, and my wife and I, I got to cross a baseball bucket list item off. ⁓ my wife and I flew up to Chicago really kind of on a whim, and I got to see Cubs in the White Sox on my birthday at Wrigley and PCA, it's the game he hit a leadoff home run, first pitch of the bottom of the first, and he hit a walk off home run. Michael Kelly: I don't think so. Okay. You He hit is that the one he hit the three in recently? Bobby Minor: No, no, no. That was this was he at two. This is on August seventeenth. So me and Pedroya share the same birthday, but anyway. Michael Kelly: That's awesome. What a birth what a great birthday, man. Bobby Minor: Yeah. It was I know, I know. so so to me, the way I look at like acting and baseball have something pretty big in common. ⁓ you can prepare your butt off, do everything right, and still get told no. And I know that, you know, you spent some years, you know, trying to make it as an actor before the big opportunity started to come. So ⁓ has your own experience with re I guess with rejection changed the way that you talk to Clint when baseball doesn't go his way? Michael Kelly: Sure, of course it does, man. I think, you know, it's an incredibly valuable my my my parents both had in incredible work ethics and it's something and I I I do as well and it's something I really truly hope I've passed on to my children as well. Because in the career past that both of my children have chosen, I'm like, you're gonna get kicked. You're it's gonna suck. It's gonna suck at times. ⁓ an and you're gonna get kicked down but it's how you respond to that. It's how you get back up and you know, it I think it's I think it's great that I do what I do because I think it's it's helpful in their journeys in trying to achieve something that very, very few people achieve, you know. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. So I know ⁓ I'm laughing. So like ⁓ I've been I've I've been an extra on a few on a few shows. My claim to fame is I had four sec four seconds where you could see me on camera in prison break. I was a police officer, something happens, you see me kinda stand up and look at what's going on and then I sit down. We had a watch party and everything at my house. But ⁓ so I Michael Kelly: Yeah. Bobby Minor: ⁓ a couple years ago I was an extra on the chosen. ⁓ I was, I don't know, a Pharisee or a Sadducee or something. And I'm going somewhere with this. And one of the scenes that I was in, ⁓ one of the major actors, who I'll r let him remain nameless, ⁓ you cause it because this is where I'm going with this, because people don't see like in an acting job, like when we're watching, you know, we're watching you perform, we're seeing the final edited version. We don't see all the screw ups and everything, because this actor Michael Kelly: Right. Bobby Minor: My God, Michael, even like with them giving him his lines and everything, it's like as soon as they would it It's like he would forget his line almost immediately. And I was like, ⁓ this is like such a beatdown. We don't see that. We don't see when actors struggle. We just see the finished product. What's it like for you as a dad ⁓ when you see your son struggle? Like when he does have that old for four game or he you he boots a ground ball right to himself where there are no do-overs, there are no retakes. How does it like how do you handle that as a dad? Michael Kelly: Yeah. It's funny, I I handled it all season this year. You know, I I told you that he was as an eighth grader called up to the ninth grade team and he faced much higher level pitching. And one thing that my son could pride himself on is that w he was always a really tough out. Like it he h he'll he'll he'll run up the pitch count, he'll battle his ass off and he's either gonna draw a walk or he's gonna hit into something. ⁓ very, very, very few strikeouts, most of his time. This year was different and he struggled. And I watched him struggle and it was the hardest thing, you know, for both my wife and I, just to watch your kid go ⁓ for three, ⁓ for four, keep getting dropped down in the batting order until he's batting last. And it was just it was it was really tough. But how proud I was to watch him in the last three or four games this season start to make the adjustments and start to consistently hit. But it was him not giving up. It was him just being like and I d and what I said the whole time was, son, you've always been this, a tough out. You've very rarely strike out. Those things, and he's on the smaller side, my son. And he's just late late bloomer. And he's he's he's gonna grow. I'm like, don't worry about it. Like you're gonna grow. You're gonna shoot up one summer and it's gonna be like, holy shit. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: I said just keep doing what you're doing because you're a good baseball player. Just keep keep being a good baseball player and just keep battling and keep a positive head about you. You know, there's a couple times he didn't and he got discouraged, but for the most part he did and he and he and he made it through and he and he hit at the end of the season. It was just such a prideful moment for for us as parents to to see your kid battle, struggle, and just keep driving forward, you know. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. That's good. ⁓ yeah. Michael Kelly: He's gonna struggle. Look at Austin Riley this year. Like he's a phenomenal baseball player, man. It happens to the best of the best. And those are the things you tell your kid. Look at Austin. You watch him every day. Austin is not a sub two hundred hitter. He's gonna be fine. Like, you know, it sucks right now and it's a bummer, but you battle. You work your way through it. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. That I mean, that's great stuff there. And I hope parents are listening to that. And it I know it can almost sound cliche. You talk about game baseball being a game of failure, but it it truly is. And it's like you're I mean, so you're I mean, like to me, like an old school baseball fan, a baseball purist and everything, you were like I remember Man, like if you were batting two twenty in the majors, you were not going to be in the majors very long. And like, you know, now you you got guys that are multi-millionaires that are batting two twenty. It's just kind of crazy how it's changed. And you know, you go to a game, you don't see the players batting averages anymore. They're showing their OPS because it looks better. Or at least they think it looks better. But you know, it's just it's kind of but baseball truly is a game of failure. You know, where else can you s fail seven out of ten times? I I mean automatic as an en actor, dude, if you were screwing up your line saying Michael Kelly: Ha ha ha. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, your your part's gonna get smaller and smaller and smaller in the show. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. And then you're gonna be sitting next to me in in the background on prison break with no with no speaking lines. ⁓ have you ever passed have you ever passed on a opportunity or a role just because you knew that it was gonna take you away from your family during like a critical critical time? Michael Kelly: I have, I can't remember what it was. I don't remember what the project was, but I remember it being a a a a big time in our f for the family, for the four of us. And I remember saying it was just not worth it. It's not worth to going you know, it wasn't Spielberg or something, but it was like, you know, but it was something that was like, ⁓ I can make a little bit of money, but it's like it's not worth it. It's not worth taking away from and I I try to look at everything now through a lens of what is best for all of us rather than what's best for my career. You know, I try my best. You know, that being said, my my daughter, I was at her musical this year, but she does the musicals at school. And year prior she played Dolly Parton role in nine to five and I was and I was on the Jack Ryan movie and I had said to them, Hey man, my daughter, they've they finally released the dates, this is and and the executive one of the executive producers They've known Frankie since she was a baby, right? And so, or since she was very young. And they were like, Of course, dude, of course we're we're flying you home for that. Don't even sweat it. And lo and behold, we were in London actually at the time. And it came down to it being she's like, like about a month out, she was like, I have a really bad feeling it might not happen. I was like, How? Like Bobby Minor: Right. Michael Kelly: You know I'm Jack you've seen Jack Ryan. Like I'm I'm not in every scene. Like it's should be pretty easy to get a weekend off, right? It had come down to we only owned if you saw the movie, we only owned that military base where I have that scene with Wendell Pierce where I c come out with a drink and we have this very nice heartfelt talk face to face moment with a drink. And they only had that base those two days. And it was impossible for me to get home for my daughter's musical that weekend and it ripped my heart out. It ripped, you know, and I got a video of it, but it's not the same, man. And it just sucked. And that was them saying, We will do anything and everything. We will buy the ticket home for you. We will take care of it. And it just they couldn't do it. And it was fucking heartbreaking. Just the worst. Bobby Minor: Wow. Hey, that's where in this day and age of AI and all that, man, they should have just, you know, did a little clone version and no. ⁓ Michael Kelly: AI'd me there. Bobby Minor: Yeah. It's you know, it made me think of another I think another parallel between acting and baseball because like you're at a point now in your career where you can say, you know what I mean, like, no, I'm gonna pass on this, but I'm sure there was a time earlier in your career where you had to take every job that was there and I think kind of the struggle, you know, like baseball players, I I love hearing the stories of the journey and the struggle where, you know, for years and years they're in the minors and the minors and the minors and next thing you know, they're a thirty year old rookie and you know, they have their big break and it just changes everything. Michael Kelly: Mm. Bobby Minor: Thank you. Michael Kelly: Yeah. And they stay, right? Like, I mean, I was I was Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: I was about 30. It took me seven years when I moved to New York City. I was in college for five, moved to New York City and just pounded the pavement for seven years, relentlessly, man, waiting tables, bike messenger, construction, did everything. Did every odd job there was, mostly waiting tables. And for seven years I just made it my full time job to, you know, be an actor. And I never didn't think I was not gonna. You know, and it but it was I was thirty before it hit, before it happened. And I think on one hand there's a greater appreciation for it when it does happen. And there's also less chance of you screwing up if you if you make it later. You know what I mean? 'Cause you'll appreciate it that much more. How many friends I had who made it at twenty three and went and did stupid shit? How many baseball players have made it twenty three and went and blew it, right? Bobby Minor: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Yeah, that's a great that's a great point. So, I mean, obviously, like I said, we've talked about like you've worked around some ridiculously successful people in your career. I mean, great actors, directors, producers, people who have, you know, stayed at the top for years. I mean, like you said, you're sitting at a table with three ⁓ Oscar winners. ⁓ what qualities do you see in those people that you hope your son is learning through baseball? No matter where his journey ultimately takes him. Michael Kelly: Crazy. I think everything, I think everything boils down to a work ethic. ⁓ every one of those people that have those Academy Awards and every single baseball player who has made it and gone to the highest levels, they all have incredible work ethics. It is first and foremost to have an incredible work ethic, and second and barely behind it, in my opinion, is respecting the people around you. You know, I tell every young actor who It's like, hey, can we talk? Can I have some advice? I'm like, yeah. Number one, respect your crew. Respect every person around you because they're there before you, they leave after you, and their sole purpose is to make you look good. So it's the same thing with the equipment manager, with your manager, with whatever it is in baseball that you're dealing with, your coaches. Like, respect those people around you and work your ass off, man. That's It's it's really the only way you're going to be successful for the most part. Social media influencers I'm sure don't have the same thing. You know what I mean? Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. No, and to your point, you may you may experience temporary success just by for some but you're not going to stay at the top and it's not going to be sustainable if you're not putting in the work. so Michael Kelly: Mm-hmm. You hear for the most part, right? Every guy who gets inducted in the Hall of Fame, almost every single one of ⁓ you just hear glowing praise about them, the character, the work ethic. That that's you're you're not getting the Hall of Fame without that shit. ⁓ there's a few few exceptions. There's been some assholes, but for the most part it's true and you can say it about all of them. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Well the other day I was it I was interviewing Adam Eaton, who's ⁓ Angels first base coach, and ⁓ we were talking about Mike Trout and he was just saying like literally the day before Mike Trout's I mean at the stadium, two thirty, you know, they have a night game. He's there at two thirty taking extra ground balls in the outfield. And just the things that he does Michael Kelly: Yeah. Bobby Minor: It it's just really kind of ⁓ to your point, you know what I mean? Like he's doing things that you think my child probably doesn't have to do. But he's still out there putting in the work and, you know, getting there early and ⁓ Michael Kelly: Yeah. Especially with everything Trout's been through. Like, I mean, that guy should have a World Series ring. I'm I'm I'm grateful that team was sold for him. I loved his statement on it. I loved everything he said. It was like it was needed. Not he was happy, not he was glad, he was like it was needed. ⁓ you know, hopefully he gets one. I love that guy. Love that guy. He's an exemplary player. I will not like him as much if he goes to the Phillies, but I like him now. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well see, I'm sitting there thinking the same thing. I love him as a player, but you know, the Angels are in the same division as the Rangers. So it's hard for me to root for the Angels to win the World Series. It's definitely not gonna happen this year, ⁓ for the Angels. But yeah, hopefully hopefully he hopefully he gets at least gets gets at least one ring. And I I don't know, like you think I sometimes I think Michael Kelly: Ha ha ha Right. Right, no. No way. Bobby Minor: I don't I didn't realize how important winning you know a World Series is to players, but when I was talking to Adam Eaton, I asked him, What's your favorite memory out of your whole baseball career? And was winning the the 2019 World Series with the Nationals. Like he was just saying, there's just almost surreal. So yeah. So okay, so you've obviously Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's even like winning an Oscar. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Michael Kelly: With the Nationals. Can't imagine. Can't imagine. In in the same way that I can't imagine an Academy Award. It's like, Yeah, it's the Oscar. Like Bobby Minor: But that's but that's still an individual thing, you know what I mean? Like it's so to me that'd be like winning MVP. You know. ⁓ so I'm pretty sure so earlier this year, I think you threw out the first pitch at a Brace game this year, right? Michael Kelly: Well Yeah. Right, right, true. I did. It was on my birthday too. Bobby Minor: What was that like? ⁓ man. So what was it like? Michael Kelly: nerve wracking is it was so I was a wreck. I was a wreck. Mike Plant, ⁓ right before the game, I was sitting there with my son and w they gave us like really s you know, we're right behind home plate there and we're sitting there and I'm I just finished an on field interview with Wiley Ballard ⁓ to to go up on the jumbo tron during the during the game. And we talked for like ten minutes on camera. And I come back over, I'm sitting there with my son and my my brother and I'm there for like five minutes and I was just like And ⁓ my son turns to me, he's like, Bro, chill. And I was like, What what? And he's like, Just chill, man. Go out there and throw it. He's like, You can throw it. He's like, You got this And I was like, Buddy, did you see me with Wiley on the field in that on camera interview? No problem. Like that's what I do. How would you feel if you w had to go do an on camera interview on the field? And he's like, ⁓ yeah, all right, good point. I was like, baseball's what you do. That's what I do. But I was a wreck and Mike took me down into the ⁓ Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Michael Kelly: into the the ⁓ the cages underneath. He was like, Come on, have you thrown today? I was Yeah, I threw a bunch with my son earlier. And he said, Well, you wanna go throw a warm-ups? I was Hell yeah. So we went down in there and there's Matt Olson hitting in the cage next to me. He was like, what's up, man? And then I talked to Mauricio Dubon for a little bit after I threw, but I had a nice little session in there. And then I just went out there and I was like, I gotta just man, I gotta just take this in and and I and I just took it all in and and ⁓ it it felt really good. And then I was just like Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ Michael Kelly: right, just look at him and chuck it, man. Just do what you do with your son every day. I did it. It was strike ish. But it was funny, like I was throwing it hard to my son all day. I'm throwing it hard in the in the cage session and then I was just like, There's this thing that comes over you right before you throw it. You're like, Don't just don't chuck it off somewhere. You know what I mean? Like, so you kinda take a little off. I don't care, it's a strike. I'm gonna get a a first pitch card with tops this year, which is exciting. Bobby Minor: That's cool. Well at least you didn't, you know, you didn't you didn't go fifty cent on them. You know, what what would you have done if you would have thrown the first pitch? Yeah, man, that would have been like that's something that lit that follows you forever. ⁓ you know, throwing the first pitch like that. Michael Kelly: Yeah. That's what I said. I just don't want to be on ESPN. Forever. Anytime there's even a remotely bad first pitch, they will show that fifty cent pitch. And I was like, I don't wanna be on TV with fifty cent. I don't care if anyone ever sees this. I just don't want to be that. Bobby Minor: So what's what's your all time favorite baseball memory then as a fan? Something that you've seen in person. Michael Kelly: ⁓ game four of the World Series, twenty-one. ⁓ I was with my father who's since passed, my brother and my son. And we went to game four and the Braves hooked us up with sweet tickets and it was that lullaby game until Solaire smashed one and the place just went electric. He hit that bomb. Not the one he hit in Texas, it was the one prior in game four. And I'll never forget that. them winning that game, being at that World Series, but mostly because of the company, you know, it was my father, my brother, and my son and the four of us. It was just there's nothing that I don't know. You know, seeing your son do things incredible, but sharing the moment with your son, your father and your brother, who's my best, you know, my next to my wife, my best friend, ⁓ was magical, man. Magical. Bobby Minor: Yeah, no doubt. No doubt. Well, so I want to do something that I do with everybody. It's just a little in and out. I'll ask you, I'm gonna ask you four questions, kind of rapid fire, 15 to 20 second answers, but we'll jump into it. So it's time for us in and out with Michael Kelly. So first question, not to qualify this, Dell Murphy cannot be your answer. So you get to put Clinton in the cage for 30 minutes with one Atlanta brave from any era. Who are you picking? Michael Kelly: Yeah. Hang on, you broke up for a second there. Can you read that one? Bobby Minor: ⁓ I I was saying so you get to put Clint in the cages for thirty minutes with any Atlanta brave from any era. Who are you picking? Michael Kelly: And Garen. Bobby Minor: Okay. I I kinda had that after I said you can't pick Del Murphy, I I thought I already kinda figured you're gonna pick Hank Aaron. Not a bad choice, I would say. So I Michael Kelly: I'm only assuming this is hang on. I'm only assuming 'cause I know this is rapid fire but I so I wanna I think I might have to move to the other it might maybe it's me, but I'm I'm showing full bars here. Talk for a second. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's o yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's it's okay because the way it's recording locally on your end anyway, so it's gonna be even though it's breaking up right now live, it'll be ⁓ it'll be fine on the recording. Michael Kelly: Okay, just so I'm clear though, the first question was if you could pick any brave to get in the batting cage with, who would it be? Bobby Minor: Yeah, yeah, with your son for thirty minutes and you said, Yeah. Michael Kelly: Yeah, hey Karen. Bobby Minor: Any brave of any any of Michael Kelly: I lost ya. Damn. Bobby Minor: Okay, you there? You're not And I'll edit all I normally don't edit, but I'm gonna edit all this out so we don't have to worry about it. Michael Kelly: I know, I'm just waiting so I can hear you. Go ahead. Bobby Minor: Okay. Now can you hear me now? Michael Kelly: Yeah. Bobby Minor: Okay. Yeah, and I'll I'll edit all this out. So okay, I'm gonna start we'll start in and out over again. So that way yeah. So all right, so it's time for some in and out with Michael Kelly. ⁓ all right, Michael, so you get to put Clint in the cages for thirty minut Okay. Michael Kelly: Okay. No, just stop. Hang on. It's terrible. I'm gonna see if I can move, see if it's me. Hold on. Bobby Minor: Okay. Michael Kelly: It's really bad. Alright, talk for a sec. Bobby Minor: All right, can you hear me now? Michael Kelly: Yeah, but it's really it's jumpy. It's Bobby Minor: Do you hear me? Michael Kelly: Are you hearing me fine? Bobby Minor: Yeah, yeah, now and you did you like there's been a couple times where you where you froze or broke up for a second, but I wasn't worried about it because I know it's recording you locally on your end. So in post-production, I guess that's what we would call it, it'll be it'll be fine. But ⁓ if you can hear me now, we'll jump in. I'll start over again with in and out. So, all right. Can you hear me? Okay, all right. ⁓ all right, so it's time for some In N Out with Michael Kelly. So, first question. Michael Kelly: Okay. Let's try it. Let's try it, yeah. Bobby Minor: You get to put Clinton in cages for 30 minutes with any Atlanta Brave from any era. Who are you picking? Okay. Great choice. I I don't think we even need to say anything else about that. So, all right, second question. What's harder for you to ⁓ huh? Okay, second question. What's harder for you to watch as a dad? Your son striking out with the game on the line, or you're sitting your son sitting on the bench wishing he had the chance to strike out? Michael Kelly: Hank Aaron. I didn't catch that. Go ahead. ⁓ the latter. Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's I mean Yeah. That's a tough one. ⁓ okay I'm I'm gonna bring I'm I'm I'm gonna have a follow up for you to that one after we're done with In N Out 'cause it made me think of something. So question question number three. You spent your whole career auditioning, hearing no, and going back again. What's one thing acting taught you about failure that you hope Clinton learns through baseball? Michael Kelly: My son sitting on the bench. That would be tough. Damn. What is you gotta repeat it? I just it you it's it's literally like it's what it sounds like. Bobby Minor: That's weird. Maybe it's my Texas accent, how fast I talk. Michael Kelly: Do you want me to just do want me to hang up and then reclick the link? ⁓ no, 'cause then you'll you won't you gotta download still. Bobby Minor: No, no, no. Yeah, this'll be this'll this'll be fine. ⁓ so I'll try I'll I'll ask the question again. ⁓ so you spent your whole your whole career auditioning, hearing no, and then going back again. What's one thing acting's taught you about failure that you hope Clint learns through baseball? Michael Kelly: That you gotta just keep getting up and dusting yourself off. Just perseverance, man. You that no matter how many times you get knocked down, you gotta get back up. Bobby Minor: That's good, that's good. All right, and here's the last question, the slow roller, as I like to call it. ⁓ finish finish this sentence. Twenty years from now, I hope Clint remembers baseball as what? Michael Kelly: His greatest achievement in life. Bobby Minor: Mm. That's good. That's good. So that was in and out with Michael. ⁓ yeah, that's true. Hopefully twenty years from now, he's retiring from the not maybe retiring from the Braves after a, you know, twelve year major league career. So yeah. Michael Kelly: Cause then he will have achieved his goals. Yeah. Bobby Minor: So that was In and Out with Michael Kelly. So I want to go back to my follow-up. So cause I know when you're on the road, ⁓ have you ever been on location and you know Clint has a game and you open up Game Changer and you're ready, you know, you're ready to watch, and that's the game where he's not playing? Michael Kelly: No, thankfully he's I mean he's sat some innings but he he he's played thankfully I can say he's played all the games that I've ever ⁓ been to or or logged into. Bobby Minor: So, all right, this is good stuff. and Michael, I really appreciate you taking the time. What's one thing, what's one parting word, word of wisdom, words of wisdom that you would say to a baseball parent out there right now that ⁓ you know, maybe their kids 10, 11, or 12, they're just living and dying on every pitch, every at-bat, every game. What's one thing that you would say to that parent? Michael Kelly: That it's not that important. It's it's you know, if kids the most important thing is that they're having fun, because none of this shit matters right now. You know, no matter how much you want to make of these tournaments or showcases or any of that kind of stuff, like none of this matters right now. I the the greatest thing I ever hear and the Braves radio guys say it all the time, if they're good, if you're good, they'll find you. It's that simple. If you're a good baseball player. They will find you. So just let the kid have fun, man. Don't don't try to put too much on it. Let them have fun if they're good. If you're good, they'll find you. Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's good stuff. So parents, I hope you're listening out there. Well, Michael, I really appreciate your time. Anything new that that we can look for that you s a movie, something new that ⁓ man. Michael Kelly: ⁓ man, I can't hear nothing now. Bobby Minor: Yeah. What about now? Michael Kelly: I heard now. Bobby Minor: Michael. Okay, we better now? There we go, there we go. Can you hear me now? All right. ⁓ I was just saying, is there any any anything new that we that you might be coming up in? Movie, TV show, something that we don't already know about? All right. Well, new season of Lioness ⁓ just started what, about four weeks ago? Michael Kelly: Good enough. Yeah. No. Damn. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael Kelly: This is crazy. Bobby Minor: I don't know. It's weird. This is yeah, this is never never happened bef well, no, it's never happened before, but can you hear me? Michael Kelly: I can't hear anything anymore. If you can hear me I can't hear anything anymore. You're completely frozen. If you can hear me, I'm gonna leave it on so that you can download it. But I can't hear anything anymore. You're completely frozen. It went stutter, stutter, stutter, and then it completely went out. But I'll just leave this on and you can shoot me an email. Bobby Minor: Michael. Can you hear me? Michael Kelly: Yeah. Yeah.