Ranking the Left Fielders Joe DiMaggio once said that it “wasn’t possible to describe just how great Stan Musial was.” Musial was “The Man” in St. Louis, leading the Cardinals to pennants in four of his first five seasons, winning three Most Valuable Player awards and seven batting titles. He ranks at the…
1971 – The Special Veterans Committee selects seven men for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: former players Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey, and Dave Bancroft, as well as executive George Weiss. A number of this year’s choices will later be derided as some of the worst ever made by the Veterans Committee.
John McGraw, accused by Ban Johnson of trying to wreck the Baltimore and Washington clubs, negotiates his release from the Orioles and officially signs to manage the Giantsat $11,000 a year, although he has already secretly signed a contract several days earlier brought to Baltimore by Giants secretary Fred M. Knowles. McGraw says, “I wish to state that I shall not tamper with any of the Baltimore club’s players.” But conspiring with National League owners John Brush and Andrew Freedman, McGraw swings the sale of the Orioles their way, enabling them to release Orioles Dan McGann, Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity and Jack Cronin for signing by the Giants. Joe Kelley and Cy Seymour go to Brush’s Cincinnati Reds.
1901 – Brooklyn ties its highest score ever (set on May 20, 1896) in blasting the Reds, 25 – 6. These are the most runs they will score this century. Jimmy Sheckard and Joe Kelley both connect for grand slams, with Kelley adding a second homer. Jay Hughes collects four hits and a win.
1899 – Under a joint ownership arrangement, several Baltimore Orioles players are shifted to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and that club transfers several to the Orioles. Manager Ned Hanlon takes Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others with him to Brooklyn, while John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson remain in Baltimore to stay close to their businesses there. The powerful new Brooklyn team is now sometimes called the “Superbas”, after a stage show in New York called “Superba” that is produced by the Hanlon brothers (unrelated to Ned Hanlon).
Joe Kelley Essentials Positions: Leftfielder and First BasemanBats: R Throws: RWeight: 190Born: December 9, 1871 in Cambridge, MA USADied: August 14, 1943 in Baltimore, MD USADebut: July 27, 1891Last Game: October 3, 1908Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1971. (Voted by Veteran’s Committee)View Joe Kelley’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos,…