Bill Kelly (kellybi01)

William J. Kelly

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 7", Weight 150

• Debut May 4, 1871
• Final Game August 29, 1871
• Born in New York, NY USA
• Died Unknown

BR page

Biographical Information

Bill Kelly played outfield for the Fort Wayne Kekiongas in 1871 and saw action in 18 games. Kelly led the team in walks with 6.

Little is known of Kelly's life after baseball, although a newspaper article from 1902 mentions that he returned to Fort Wayne, IN for the first time in 26 years. The article also mentions his sister, Theresa, who was alive at the time and married to a man named Constantine Schenk. While Kelly's whereabouts are untraceable, his sister was alive until 1921, and her name can be found in various censuses, under variations of her husband's last name (Schenck, Shink and Shank). She also gives different places of birth for her parents, such as New York state, Ireland and Canada. The siblings' father was named Michael, according to her death certificate.

Further Reading

• "William Kelly", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2015, pp. 1-2.

Related Sites

• BR Minors page