Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-07-06
MICHAEL J. KELLY.
w. l. Harris Letter Is About
This Extraordinary Player.
MAGNIFICENT EVEN IN DEFEAT.

He Was Born at Troy, n. Y.-He Never
Worked Yer, Hard Till He Found His
spher. on the Diamond. and Now He
Plays for a Living.
The most prominent characteristic Of
Michael j. Kelly, the man whose name has
been a byword among the baseball cranks
Of the last decade, was aptly designated by
the Chicago wit, who thus wrote Of him.
the occasion being the defeat of the Boston
club on its first visit to Chicago after
Kelly became u member Of the team:
Michael J. Kelly is magnifcent-mag.
nificent even In defeat. The fall OF Ilium
could not abate the glory of Hector one
5ot, and the martyrdom Of Winkelreid
served simply To immortalize the patriotic
Switzer's name. so Kelly rises Sphinx like
from the cinders Of yesterdays catastrophe.
disfigured niayhap, but undismayed and
eager, aye, rampant, for conquest"
The "only" Mike cannot be downed more
than temporarily. There isn't another like
him in the baseball business. After "Kel,"
a. he is Familiarity known wherever base
ball is played, was made the mold was
broken. He is al original of originals.
Kelly was born Dec. 81, 1857, at Troy, n.
Y, and never did anything like work so
Ear as any one knows until he began TO
play ball. The exact date OF this event IL
not known. "kel" himself SAYS, II always
played ball" However, at l6 we nave a
record Of him. He was then a catcher for
the lawmakers of Paterson, y. j. In
1876 Kelly played with the Olympics OF
Paterson, and in ls11-7sh he went Ia Colum.
bus and played with the Buckeyes of that
place. In 1879 he played with the Cincin-
natl League club. IN the winter Of 1879 he
went 10 California with the Cincinnati
Buffalo combination. and in 1850 signed
with Chicago. He remained with that
club until the sp'ing Of lss7. when his re-
lease was sold 20 the Boston club for
$4,000 and he " MT TO that city, receiving
a salary Of $3.50. In 1879 "Kel" got so a
month, and hi advance money when he
signed was So When he signed with
Boston he drew 81 900 rs advance salary.
A handsomr, dashing fellow Is "the only
Mike" a briny. intelligent player, who
plays with h brains rs well as his body.
His wit is rs quick as a fash. and he has
invented about half of the tricks Of the
anne that are now In such general use.
One Of his most nous tricks Is to wait for
his base on balls. aud tantalize and worry
a pitcher and exhaust his strength and pa
thence by bunting" every good ball over
into foul ground. He ismarvelously skill.
full at it. and many a base so earned las
Melted a much needed run. Kelly was the
first player who became famous for cutting
.l.-t l... ..l H.. H.. .... -. ~
most successful man in the business at
breaking the rules and escaping the conse-
quences, both on and off the field.
Kelly stands at the home plate with every
nerve strung up To its highest tension.
Clutching his bat several inches from the
end Of the handle TO give him "A quicker
command of it, he keeps it ~nervously de.
scribing eccentric areas over his right
shoulder, with his feet well together. the
left a little In advance. From his unerring
accuracy In gauginga pitchers delivery
all the craft dread him.
play ball" is "kel's" watchword, and
no matter where he may be standing his
wal cry is sure to be heard when the eau.
ton is needed. Few better "all around
players ever donned a uniform. His bat.
WINK EtfbIu itt tApN -ubN IL true NDTIU
as a batsman, because he always plays for
his side, but such AZ II Is il gives him in
twelve seasons play fourth position among
the veterans. In that time he has played
LIS games, been ASH times at bat aud
made 100 base hits, with an average Of
1923. In 1854 Kelly stood third in batting.
He was No. Il in 1885. and led the League
In 1886. His position was seventh in lss7,
fourth in ISIS, and twenty-fifth in 1859.
Kelly is Il great run getter, and AS "A base
stealer has few equals in the profession
when il comes to stealing bases where sue
cess means runs and victory. There are
men who steal more bases. but not over
two or three can touch ''the only" in an
emergency.
Kelly a a captain was not n success in
1889 The main reason for this was that
he dissipated, and his example was not
conducive TO discipline, Had "Kel' kept
his W behavior up TO the right standard
there is little doubt that his team would
have been champions in 1883. This year
Kelly has kept himself incondition and has
kept his men in line. 1t looks now as if he
ought TO win the Players League pennant.
kelly's methods as a captain have been
changed. Last year he vas persuasive
and his discipline was lax. This year he is
dictatorial and forcible, and yet withal
''jollys' his men when they do good work.
This proves that Kelly has come to the
conclusion that Arson and Ewing succeed
by enforcing their commands, and that the
iron hand, even though tact puts a glove
on il, is the one patent factor in "A success
full captain. Kelly's new method is Ger.
tainly getting wonderful work out Of his
team.
Kelly has written a book called play
Ball'-at least he suggested the IDEAS to his
friend, John j. Drohan. who wrote them
up. In private life Kelly is his worst enc
my, As he has a whole souled, enerous ma
ture that has a tendency TO keep him poor.
kelly's winter occupation is assisting in
the management of a profitable saloon
business in New York. His partner is the
former umpire. John Kelly. Kelly is very
popular with the public. and has a person.
atty that seldom fails to enliyen any game
in which he participates,
W. l. HARRIS.