Joe Kelly (kellyjo03)

Joseph Henry Kelly

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut April 14, 1914
• Final Game May 27, 1919
• Born September 23, 1886 in Weir City, KS USA
• Died August 16, 1977 in St. Joseph, MO USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"This fellow Kelly can do anything and everything, and aside from his ability, he has the spirit and ginger. . . Kelly has more ginger than (Ginger Beaumont) ever had. As a baserunner he is another Max Carey, and he can field with the best in the league. . . Besides he can hit the ball hard enough . . ." - Barney Dreyfuss, quoted in Sporting Life of May 2, 1914

Joe Kelly played five seasons in the majors and 20 in the minors. When he first came up to the majors, he was called "a second edition" of Joe Kelley, whose name was often spelled Kelly.

"Joe Kelly played good ball for the Indians last year and was the leading base runner of the Association and a .300 hitter. This year Joe started out fine, but was taken down with malarial fever . . . " - from the Sporting Life issue of July 22, 1916, about Joe's play with the Indianapolis Indians in 1915 and 1916

From 1921-25 he played for the San Francisco Seals. Others on those teams included Lefty O'Doul, Willie Kamm, Tim Hendryx and Dee Walsh.

The book San Francisco Seals has a photo of him leaping to make a catch, and states:

"Joe Kelly was a talented outfielder and a superb hitter. He had exceptional speed and was as good a defensive outfielder as there was."

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Playoffs
1926	St. Joseph Saints	Western League		--	--	replaced by Dick Breen
1927	Amarillo Texans	Western League	66-87	6th
1928	Columbia Comers	South Atlantic League	67-78	6th
1929	Columbia Comers	South Atlantic League	68-79	7th
1930	Oklahoma City Indians	Western League	13-19	--	--	replaced by Louis Brower May 26

Related Sites

Find-A-Grave Memorial for Joe Kelly