Joe Kelly Finds Diamond-Encrusted Surprise in His Glove After Lending It to Tony La Russa

Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly had a present waiting for him after giving his mitt to the legendary former manager.

Tony La Russa should really take better care of his jewelry.

La Russa, the former A’s and Cardinals manager, is now a special assistant with the Red Sox and caught the first pitch before a game last week. Since he’s 73 and doesn’t have a glove of his own, the Hall of Famer borrowed a mitt from Boston reliever Joe Kelly. 

It’s the kind of thing that happens all the time and would usually be forgotten instantly, except this time Kelly looked inside the glove and found something very valuable. 

La Russa won three World Series as a manager—one with the A’s, one in St. Louis in 2006 and another in 2011, when Kelly was in the Cards’ minor league system. 

Kelly asked for a one trillion dollar ransom, but it’s maybe not the best idea for a pending free agent to drive a hard bargain with the front office staff.