Phillies will give former prospect Kelly Dugan ‘a second chance’ with spring training tryout

This article was originally written by Matt Breen for the Inquirer. To read the original article, please visit https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-kelly-dugan-spring-training-documentary-20250221.html

The filmmakers who have followed former Phillies prospect Kelly Dugan for the last year will receive a perfect final shot for their documentary when Dugan spends next week in Clearwater, Fla.

The 34-year-old Dugan will rejoin the Phillies on Monday, 15 years after they drafted him in 2009's second round and 10 years after they released him. Dugan, who has toiled the last six seasons in independent baseball, will spend three days in minor-league camp on a tryout before playing Thursday in a major-league spring training game against the Yankees.

The agreement — which filmmaker Mike Tollin worked out with the team — gives the 34-year-old Dugan the chance he has been chasing for the last decade while playing baseball for $600 a week in places like Lancaster, Pa., and Grand Junction, Colo.

Once a prospect, Dugan refused to give up on his dream even as his chances to reach the majors became slimmer each year. He just wanted a shot.

Tollin, who produced a seven-part series in 2022 about Derek Jeter, knows a good story and thought Dugan's odyssey was movie worthy. So what better way to end the film than Dugan trying out for the team where his professional baseball journey began.

But Dugan, who is older than every Phillies player except Zack Wheeler, sees next week as more than just an end scene in a film. It is the chance he has been seeking.

The Yankees batted Billy Crystal leadoff for a spring training game, Garth Brooks spent a few springs with various teams, and Will Ferrell once played for 10 teams in one day. But this, Tollin said, is different. Dugan is a ballplayer with a dream.

"I'm so grateful that the Phillies found it in their collective hearts to give us all this opportunity," said Tollin, who grew up in Havertown. "I think Kelly would be comfortable with whatever the result is and I think he's clear eyed about who he is and what the chances are for a 34-year-old infielder/outfielder. I hope it propels him to what he wants to do next, which I think is clearly in baseball."

The documentary is slated to be released next year as a multi-part series, which Tollin sees as a minor-league baseball version of Welcome to Wrexham.

Tollin and Dugan connected last year when Dugan was trying to keep his dream burning but needed a team. Dugan's childhood friend worked on one of Tollin's films and knew he had recently purchased an independent ball team in Colorado. He called Tollin and told him Dugan was interested. Tollin said sure, but he'd like to document it.

Dugan is no stranger to film as he grew up on movie sets. His father Dennis directed many of Adam Sandler's movies and Kelly Dugan even had lines in a few. He was in for Tollin's project as he could keep playing baseball.

"I love to play the game," said Dugan, who is married with a son. "I see hitting as my craft and playing baseball is my greatest skill. If I felt like there had been any drop off in how I was hitting or how I was playing the game, I would've stepped away. I wouldn't continue to pursue it if it didn't make sense. You understand when you watch me play that I can still really hit the ball and play the game. I feel encouraged."

Dugan hit .369 for Tollin's Grand Junction Jackalopes with a 1.180 OPS in 63 games. He was nine years older than the average player in the Pioneer League and Tollin said Dugan was like an extra coach, using his 15 years of professional experience to mentor younger players.

They hoped Dugan would latch on with a major-league team's farm system but that never happened as minor-league roster spots have become even more limited due to recent rule changes. The challenge to jump from indie ball to affiliated ball is as stiff as ever.

Tollin called the Phillies and John Middleton told him to talk to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski said OK as long as manager Rob Thomson and farm director Luke Murton agreed.

"I think there's a tremendous empathy among Phillies' brass," Tollin said. "This guy started in the Phillies' system. He kept his nose clean, he worked his butt off, he had a solid minor-league career. It's a gift in a way to him and to us, but I think the whole project is a love letter to baseball and really just expresses what's special about baseball in this country."

Dugan, who was on the set of one of his dad's Sandler movies when the Phillies drafted him, has not been back to Clearwater since the Phillies released him. He played seven seasons in the Phillies' system and finished 2015 in triple A before being let go later that year.

Dugan spent 2016 and 2017 in Chicago and Arizona's farm systems before moving to the independent ranks. He had success in independent baseball, overcame injuries, and ended each season without a call from a major-league team.

It would have been easy to walk away. But Dugan came back every spring for another season, believing his swing was better in his 30s than it was in his 20s.

"I don't know if it's perseverance or if it's like Sisyphus," his father said in 2023. "He keeps rolling the baseball to the top of the hill and it keeps rolling back down. I think anybody else would've quit. He has the will of 10 people."

Dugan long hoped to receive a chance from a team like the Phillies. The former prospect wanted just one take to prove that he could still do it. Finally, Dugan is getting his shot.

"Everyone has a different journey in this game," Dugan said. "I'm just glad they're giving me a look. I consider it like I'm doing it for all the guys who deserve a second chance. I'm sticking in there and there's a lot of guys who are in my position. I'm hoping to make the most of the opportunity."

This article was originally written by Matt Breen for the Inquirer. To read the original article, please visit https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-kelly-dugan-spring-training-documentary-20250221.html