Miners giving new meaning to versatile

By playing at first base and third base or shortstop and left field during the season, a player can be given the label versatile.

If that is the case, a pair of Mat-Su Miners bring the term versatile to a whole new level. They are not only versatile, they are Mr. Everythings.

Mike Kelly and Matthew Inouye have played virtually everywhere for the Miners this season.

Kelly has played five positions this summer, seeing time at first base, second base, third base and shortstop in addition to appearing on the mound.

Inouye has played at first, second, right field and has caught for the Miners.

Wherever Mat-Su manager Kevin Edwards places Kelly and Inouye, the players excel.

"They can play anywhere," Edwards said.

Edwards added that it is the athleticism of Kelly and Inouye that allow them to have success wherever they play.

Coming into the summer, the Miners knew that Kelly could be used at multiple positions.

At Monmouth University, Kelly was not only an All-Conference shortstop, but also the team's closer. During his junior season Kelly started 50 games at shortstop, drove in 26 runs and collected 44 hits while hitting in the middle of the order.

On the mound Kelly led Monmouth in both earned run average and saves. He had more than a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

It only took one elevator ride by Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher to find the versatile Kelly.

While at a convention in San Diego in January, Christopher shared an elevator with a coach of Kelly's at Monmouth. The coach of the New Jersey school told Christopher, a native of New Jersey, about Kelly and by the time the elevator ride was over, Christopher was sold on Kelly.

With the Miners Kelly has collected 21 hits and knocked in 12 runs while hitting in the top and the middle of the order.

On defense Kelly has a team-high 59 assists and .982 fielding percentage.

On the mound, Kelly is the Miner's closer, saving four games this season. He is third in the Alaska Baseball League in saves.

Kelly started the season at second base with the occasional appearance on the mound.

After Josh Mader was injured, Kelly moved to shortstop.

When Mader returned and second baseman Joey Hooft arrived to the team, the Miners approached Kelly about the possibility of moving to first.

He gladly accepted and manned first base for the first time in his career. Kelly also made his first career appearance at third base this season.

Kelly said despite being new to the positions, the transition was easy.

"Third was pretty smooth, but first took a while to learn the different angles," Kelly said. "After a game I was OK."

A recent injury to Kelly

actually allowed Inouye to add another position to his baseball resume«.

Last weekend in a contest against the Alaska Goldpanners, while playing first base Kelly stretched out to retrieve an errant throw and a Panner baserunner came up underneath him and caught Kelly underneath the arm with a helmet. Kelly suffered a strained muscle in his arm on the play and may be out until the Miners play the Anchorage Bucs on Monday.

With Kelly out of the lineup, Edwards moved Inouye to first base for his first career stint at the position.

Inouye's transition to the right corner of the infield was more than smooth as he anchored the Miner infield with steady play at first base. Inouye's short tenure at first was highlighted with a pair of spectacular plays.

In the third game of the series against the Panners, Inouye robbed Alaska lead off hitter Art Ortiz of a potential extra-base hit. Inouye snagged a ball that nearly bounced hard over his head and into a wide open right field.

Inouye, a freshman All-American at the University of Hawaii, started the summer playing right field for the Miners. Inouye also played second base before moving behind the plate midway through the season.

Inouye started 34 games, with time both behind the plate and in the outfield for Hawaii, and was second on the squad with a .339 batting average.

Inouye currently leads the Miners with 19 RBIS and has yet to commit an error on defense.

Edwards, also a Major League associate scout, said that the versatility of Inouye and Kelly could help them succeed on the professional level.

"They should get an opportunity," Edwards said.