Let’s set the scene. It’s Manhattan. September is approaching, Fashion Week is on the horizon, and Lohan — reportedly preparing to move from L.A. to New York — is reintroducing herself to the NYC nightlife circuit. That alone sounds like trouble with a capital TMZ. But what raised eyebrows and triggered a tidal wave of confused laughter across the sports-and-celebrity blogosphere was where and with whom she was partying: at Dorrian’s Red Hand, the Upper East Side prepster institution, and flanked by none other than former Yankees Pat Kelly and Shane Spencer.
Yes, Shane Spencer and Pat Kelly. Obviously.
Why? How? Who organized this crossover episode of “Behind the Music” meets “Yankeeography”? Nobody knows. But it happened, and it was glorious.
Sources from the night reported Lohan was sipping vodka sodas and even jumped on the mic for some karaoke — belting out Lady Gaga’s “You & I,” no less. The very same Gaga who, around this time, had handpicked Lindsay to appear in one of her music videos. Because if there’s one thing missing from late-stage pop stardom, it’s 2000s tabloid energy.
As for the Yankee duo, this wasn’t exactly Old Timers’ Day. These weren’t Reggie and Yogi stopping by. But let’s not pretend Kelly and Spencer didn’t leave their marks in pinstripes.
Pat Kelly was a scrappy, glove-first second baseman drafted in 1988, who played for the Yanks from 1991 to 1997. He wasn’t exactly setting the league on fire — 26 homers over seven seasons — but he had his moments. His speed and defense kept him around, and his occasional clutch hits gave fans something to remember. He was the kind of guy you rooted for, even when he went 1-for-4 with a sac bunt and a diving stop that made Michael Kay scream.
Shane Spencer, on the other hand, was a comet. A roided-up comet? Who knows — it was the ‘90s! But the guy made an impact. In 1998, the very year 12-year-old Lindsay Lohan was probably rehearsing lines for The Parent Trap, Spencer was smashing 10 home runs during a ridiculous September call-up, including three grand slams in ten days. TEN. DAYS. That stretch earned him a 1.321 OPS and eternal Yankee cult hero status, plus a front-row seat to three straight World Series championships. He peaked faster than a Vine star, but man, what a peak.
So back to the story. Why were they out with Lohan? Was it karaoke night for ex-Yankees and ex-child stars? Were they working on a charity album called “Pitchers and Pitch Problems”? We’ll never know. And honestly, we don’t need to. That’s part of the joy.
This whole tale is less about logic and more about the chaotic harmony that only New York City can produce. Only in this town can you walk into a bar and find a fallen teen idol singing Gaga to a crowd of prep school kids, flanked by a light-hitting second baseman and a guy who once hit three grand slams in a week. It was weird, wild, and way too much fun to forget.
So here we are in 2025, digging up this little slice of madness and remembering that for one night in 2012, the Yankees’ forgotten heroes and Hollywood’s most chaotic energy collided — and for some reason, it worked.
Let this be your reminder: New York is undefeated in the weird department.
--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor
