Seven years ago, Mike Kelly wore a Durham Bulls uniform and carried all of the weight that goes with being the Atlanta Braves top draft choice in 1991. Since then, Kelly has covered a lot of ground in the Atlanta and Cincinnati organizations. Now that he's in Tampa, Mike hopes his minor league traveling days are over.
"It's been a long, tough road," Kelly admits. "I guess nobody ever said it was going to be easy. It wasn't for me. I had a lot of hills and valleys and obstacles to overcome. But I think I finally arrived, and I'm happy to be here. It's probably the opportunity of a lifetime for me."
Kelly has always had the skills to be an everyday player in the big leagues, but he had to convince himself he belonged with the big boys. Kelly believes ultimately, "experience breeds confidence."
The former bull can't wait to return to Durham on Monday, but he hopes that's his only trip to the Triangle this year.
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