Keeler, "Wee Willie" (William H.)
Baseball
b. March 3, 1872, Brooklyn, NY
d. Jan. 1, 1923
Known for his dictum, "Keep your eye clear and hit 'em where they ain't," the 5-foot-4, 140-pound Keeler was one of the finest hitters of his day, collecting singles in bunches.
He entered the major leagues with the New York NL team for a brief stint in 1892 and was traded to Brooklyn early in the 1893 season, when he appeared in only 27 games. After playing mostly at third base, he became an outfielder in 1894 with Baltimore, where he fit perfectly into an offense built around singles, stolen bases, and the hit and run play.
Keeler was good at bunting for base hits and he also became an expert at the "Baltimore chop," bouncing the ball off the hard infield dirt so it would go over the heads of charging infielders. After batting .371, .377, and .386 in his first three seasons with Baltimore, he led the league in hitting with a .424 average in 1897 and a .385 average in 1898. He also led in hits both seasons, with 239 and 216.
Despite four pennants in five seasons, the Baltimore team was dismantled after the 1898 season and Keeler went to Brooklyn with manager Ned Hanlon and several other teammates. He led the league with 140 runs in 1899 and with 204 hits in 1900, when Brooklyn won the pennant.
After hitting .339 and .333 in the next two seasons, Keeler was offered $10,000 to play for the AL's New York Highlanders (now the Yankees), making him baseball's highest paid player. He hit over .300 each of his first four seasons in New York, then suddenly fell to .234 in 1907. He became a part-time player, batting .263 in 1908 and .264 in 1909, then returned to the New York NL team as a pinch-hitter for manager John McGraw, a former Baltimore teammate. After getting 3 hits in 10 at-bats in 1910, Keeler played in the minor leagues for a season and then retired. He later scouted for the NL's Boston Braves.
In 19 seasons, Keeler had a .341 average with 2,932 hits, including 241 doubles, 145 triples, and 33 home runs. He stole 495 bases, scored 1,719 runs, and had 810 RBI.