The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-22
WILLIE KEELER'S
GREAT RECORD
Fourteen Years in Fast Com
pany and Never Batted
Below 800 Mark.

There Is not time during a ball game
that Willie Keeler. the weIterweight
champion batter of the world, starts
swinging two bats to hit with that there
is not d hUzZ in the stands It's Here
comes keeler up There will be some
thing doing
This same Keller has brought joy not
alone 20 the New York Americans with
his timely hitting. but TO every club the
Brooklyn midget has been with Keeie~
walks up to the batter's box. gets close
up and never backs away His iudg-
ment on bad balls can't be beaten IN
fact IL has been noticed on several oc-
ca sions that he Will turn around and Iuok
AT tire umpire who viii shout Ball one
# kee'er does not strike al il. They take
il for granted that any thng Keeier does
not strike at is a bail. Watch him day
i'm and day out and YOU viii notice that
the umpire practically leaves it to Kceier
when calling them
Keelcr is known bY his fellow PLAYERS
as the Brooklyn millionaire. This title
IS given him because he owns some prop
CTty i'm Brooklyn. the town where he was
born. Keelcr sot his education in the
public schools there. keeler often missed
an afternoon session and sometimes the
enure DAY 10 toss d few around with
the BOYS on the lot. 1t was not long be
forc~he attracted attention.
Started at Sixteen.
When he was IS years old he joined the
Acmes of Brooklyn Most o. the games
were played on Sundays. and the little
batter made good right off the bat He
continued in the professional ranks
until 1870. when he Joined the CrescenfS
of Plainfield n J. His next engagement
was with the Binghamtons, and in the
fail of 1892 he was engaged by the New
York Nationals. The fact that he was
left-handed thrOwer made the third
base position difficult for him to play
In the spring of 1898 he started TO cover
center field for the Giants. but owing
tc an accident while he was Sliding ia
second base he was out of the game for
some time When he recovered he was re-
leased to the Brooklyn club. finishing the
season there.
Ned Hanlon at that time took hold Of
the Baltimore club and was chasing
around for some talent that would
Strengl hen his team. Hanlon had been
watching Keller, and at once made a
proposition to Charlie Byrne. then the
president of the Trolley Dodgers to trade
lreadWay and Shindle for Keeler and
Brouthers. Byrne jumped at it. Han
ION put Neeier IN right field. and there
ne has been ever since.
Hanlon i'm 1899 took his Baltimore cluil
over TO Brooklyn and Of course Keller
was one of the players who went with
him Brooklyn won the pennant in ISe1
and 1900. and Keller did much to land
the flag for the City of Churches
Credit to the Game.
Willie is a young man and is alv-s,-.
IN the best of shape He takes the beet
of care of himself during the baseball
season ana saves his money. In a iok-
ing way he has said different times:
WHEEL. when | give up this game
suppose ] will have to go back to work .
lie is an honor to the great game cf
baseball He never kicks at the umpire
ana when he does it's sure sign that
the decision was bad He Joined the
Yankees in 1908. and has been PLAYING
the same kind of a game day i'm and daY
out. lie certainly is the big Liliputian
of the baseball field. Keller was once
asked how he made his great success as
a batsman- He replied:
There Is only one explanation. and
That is to hit them where they amt
The Brooklyn man has no favOrite pas
Tune but on the road he enjoys reading
and always SAYS:
This will be my last year"
Keller is good for plenty of baseball
ana there Is no doubt he will be seen