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

lie Was Born at Troy, n. Y.-He Never
Worked Very Hard TIL He Found His
Sphere on the Diamond. and Now He
Plays for n 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 a member of the team:
Michael j. Kelly is mAgnifcent-mRg-
nificent even in defeat The fall OF Ilium
could not abate the glory OF Hector one
jot, 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,
disflgured mayhap, 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 excl"
as he Is Familiarity known wherever base
ball Is played, was made the mold was
broken. He is an original of originals.
Kelly was born Dec. 81, 1857, at Troy, N.
Y, and never did anything like work 80
far as any one knows until he began to
play ball. The exact date of his event is
not known. "Kel" himself says, ct always
played ball" However, at 10 we have a
record of him. He was then a catcher for
the Haymakers of Paterson, N. J. In
1875 KAly played with the Olympics of
Paterson, and in 1s77-7S he went to Column
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 to California with the Cincinnati
Buffalo combination, and In 1880 signed
with Chicago. He remained with that
club until the spring of 1887, when his re-
lease was sold TO the Boston club for
$4,000 and he went to that city, receiving
a salary of 1850. In 1879 "Kel" got $50 a
month, and his advance money when he
signed was SO. When he signed with
Boston he drew 1900 as advance salary.
A handsome. dashing fellow is "the only
Nike" a brainy, intelligent player, who
plays with his brains as well as his body.
His wit Is as quick as a fash, and he has
invented about half Of the tricks OF the
game that are now in such general use.
One of his most famous tricks is to wait for
his base on balls, and tantalize and worry
a pitcher and exhaust his strength and pa
tience by bunting every good ball over
into foul ground. He Is marvelouslY skill
full at it, and many a base so earned has
netted a much needed run. Kelly was the
first player who became famous for cutting
third base, and he has always been the
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 1t, he keeps 1t n~ervously de-
scribing eccentric areas over his right
shoulder, with his feet well together, the
left a little In advance From his unerring
accuracy in gauging a pitchers delivery
all the craft dread him.
PLAY ba1l' is "Kel's" watchword, and
no matter where he may be standing his
war cry Is sure to be heard when the eau
ton is needed. Few better "alI aroundp
players ever donned a uniform. His bat
ting record does not show his true worth
as a batsmnn, because he always plays for
his side, but such as II is 1t gives him In
twelve seasons play fourth position among
the veterans. In that time he has played
i,l55 games, been 4,s77 times at bat end
made l,570 base hits, with an average OF
1913. In 1884 Kelly Stood third in batting.
He wa No. is in 1885, and led the League
in 1885. His position was seventh In 1887,
fourth in 1888, and twenty-ffth in 1889.
Kelly is n great run getter, and as a base
stealer has few equals In the profession
when 1t 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 as a captain was not a success in
1889. The main reason for this was that
he dissipnted, and his example was not
conducive to discipline. Had "Kel" kept
his own behavio up to the right standard
there Is little doubt that his team would
have been champions in 1889. This year
Kelly has kept himself in condition and has
kept his men in line. 1t looksn now as II he
ought to win the Players League p~ennant.
Kelly's methods as a captain have been
changed. Last year he was persuasive
and his discipline was lax. This year he is
dictatorial n 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 1t, 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 ]. Drohan. who wrote them
up. In private life Kelly is his worst enc
my, as he has a whole souled, generous 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
Rlity that seldom fails to enliven any game
in which he participates.
W. I. HARRIS.