King Kelly

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King Kelly

Inducted:
1945

King Kelly MLB Hall of Fame

Personal Details

5-10, 170lb (178cm, 77kg)

Born:
December 31, 1857
Troy, New York, U.S.

Died:
November 8, 1894
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Position:
Right fielder
Catcher
Manager

College:
NA

King Kelly, born Michael Joseph Kelly in 1857, was one of baseball’s first true superstars and among the game’s earliest crowd favorites.

A versatile and inventive player, Kelly excelled as a catcher, outfielder, and infielder during his career from 1878 to 1893, mainly with the Chicago White Stockings and Boston Beaneaters.

Known for his clever baserunning, quick thinking, and flair, he helped define the early style of professional baseball.

He won two batting titles and helped lead his teams to six pennants, hitting .308 over his career.

Off the field, his charm and showmanship made him a national celebrity—he was even the subject of a hit song, "Slide, Kelly, Slide." Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945, King Kelly remains a symbol of baseball’s formative, colorful years.

Kelly's Awards and Records

    • 2× NL batting champion (1884, 1886)
    • 3× NL runs scored leader (1884–1886)
    • 6× NL Champion (1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, 1892)
    • Players' League Champion (1890)
    • Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame
    • Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee: 1945
    • 2× National League Batting Champion (1884, 1886)
    • 6× National League Pennant Winner
    • One of the game’s first player-managers
    • mous subject of early baseball song: “Slide, Kelly, Slide”

    MLB Teams:

    Cincinnati Reds (1878–1879)
    Chicago White Stockings (1880–1886)
    Boston Beaneaters (1887–1889)
    Boston Reds (1890)
    Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891)
    Boston Reds (1891)
    Boston Beaneaters (1891–1892)
    New York Giants (1893)

    MLB Stats

    Seasons Played:
    16 (1878–1893)
    Games Played:
    1,455
    Hits:
    1,813
    Batting Average:
    .308
    Home Runs:
    69
    RBIs:
    950
    Runs Scored:
    1,357
    Stolen Bases:
    368
    On-Base Percentage:
    .368