Kelley, "Joe" (Joseph J.)
Baseball
b. Dec. 9, 1871, Cambridge, MA
d. Aug. 14, 1943
Primarily a pitcher in his first professional season in 1891, Kelley was bought by the Boston NL team during the season and used as an outfielder in 12 games. He returned to the minors in 1892, played entirely in the outfield, and was purchased by Pittsburgh. After hitting only .239 in 56 games, he was sold to the Baltimore NL team near the end of the season.
Kelley came into his own with Baltimore in 1893, hitting .305. It was the first of 12 consecutive seasons in which he batted over .300. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Kelley worked hard under manager Ned Hanlon to develop his defensive skills. Gifted with a strong throwing arm, he soon became known for using his great speed to make running catches, robbing opponents of extra base hits.
Only once did Kelley lead the league in an offensive category, with 87 steals in 1896. But he scored more than 100 runs and had more than 100 RBI in five of his six seasons with Baltimore, helping lead the team to pennants from 1894 through 1897.
Despite that success, the Baltimore franchise was in financial trouble and it folded in February of 1899. Hanlon went to the Brooklyn Superbas, taking Kelley, Wee Willie Keeler, and Hugh Jennings with him. Those three players are all now in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Kelley hit .325, .319, and .307 for Brooklyn before going back to Baltimore, this time with an AL team, in 1902. He managed the team for a short time, then returned to the NL with Cincinnati, where he again became playing manager. His combined average was .321 that season.
He gave up managing after the 1905 season but remained as a player through 1906, then spent a season as a playing manager in the minor leagues. He was named manager of the Boston NL team in 1908, when he played in his final 73 major league games.
In 1909, Kelley returned to the minor leagues as a manager, remaining through 1914. He was later a scout for the New York Yankees and a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers.