Evening star., 1911-05-25
MIKE KELLY HAD NO
EQUAL, SAySC. MACK
Leader of Champions Tells of
the Tricks the Former Star
Used to Play.
ALWAYS KNEW JUST
WHAT TO DO IN A PINCH
Could Think Faster Than Any
Other Player, and Fooled the
Stars of His Day.

According to Connie Mack there never
was ball player like Mike Kelly, who
IN his day was known as king kel"
Inc greatest character that base ball
ever knew. the ablest leader and the
most magnetic player was old Mike
Nelly. Nobody before or since ever
touched kel when 1t came to leader
snip, to inspiring his men and person.
ally pulling his team out of a hole.
saw kel give the greatest exhibit
tlon OF leadership in Washington that
ever saw before or since. Boston had
John Clarkson and Mike. the famous
en-thousand-dollar beauties, and Boston
was having tough fight with New York
for the pennant.
This day Boston was ahead single
run. and with nobody out Clarkson lost
control. Everything he had left him
heI was playing in right field and the
uases ,st were hIied. He ran to the bench
where jim Hart was managing, and
yeled: Let me get behind the bat
go Ahead!"
All right said Hart. go aheadr
kel stuck on his mask and Charlie Gan
Eel, who was catching, went into right
held. He was sore because he had been
pulled from behind the plate, but he
took it and went into the field Tom
Daily was at the bat for u.s.
He had two balls on him when Kel
came to catch. He struck out Another
1elioW came to the bat. Kelly gave the
signals and nursed Clarkson along. That
Iellow famed. Hoy. the dummy, was
the third fellow to come to the plate
He popped up little foul to kel That
was what Kelly did, he inspired the
team, he always made them stiffen up
and play.
He was the hardest man in the world
10 catch stealing. l never was so sore
IN my life as one day in Boston. l was
catching, and l had that ball down to
second twenty feet in front of Kel
Watch IT. he yelled to the umpire, and
I'll be hanged If he didn't slide around
that base and was safe.
-, mo man ever lived who could catch
the signs of the other fellow like Kel
When l worked with Jim Whitney I gave
all the signs. He didn't throw a ball
unless l signaled for it, Well, you can
believe me or not but Kel got wise to
every sign that we had. could nab
the other fellows on the team, but Kel,
who got wise when Jim was going to
pitch, would steal third on us right along.
Lived on Tricks.
And tricks. Why. Kel lived on tricks.
He could think in half a second One day
in Pittsburg. with Red Ehret pitching,
we had Boston 20 in the ninth. Ehret
got fooling with Kel, sticking UP soft
ones for him to hit. But Kel wouldn't
pull at the easy ones. He walked. He
got down at first and ratified Ehret SO
that he hit one fellow and passed an
other. and the sacks were filled.
Bobby Lowe came to the bat, and
he laced one down into right field that
Patsy Donovan had to scramble to get
back. Now, watch Kelly.
Mike didn't hustle home. Not on your
life. He timed the play. He just walked
along down the line with two men right
at his back. l had just reached for the
plate. when Kel. timing the ball. got to
the plate He gave me the knee, knocked
me sprawling on my face. and the three
men scored
THE umpire didn't see It, I knew that
The spectators were not wise. 1t was
done SO slick. That gave them three
runs instead of two, and when Bobby
Lowe scored a little later it made four
and that's what they beat us4-2-with
everybody cussing Ehret for fooIing with
Kel
HE was the most wonderful ball play
er that ever lived, and it was just such
stunts that made Kel the great fellow
that he was"