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
Kelly. Nobody before or since ever
touched Kel when it came to leader
ship, to inspiring his men and person
ally pulling his team out of a hole
L saw kel give the greatest exhibi-
ton of leadership in Washington that |
ever saw before or since. Boston had
John Clarkson and Mike. the famous
ten-thousand-dollar beauties, and Boston
for the pennant
MS day Boston was ahead a single
run. and with nobody out Clarkson lost
control. Everything he had left him.
hei was playing in right field and the
oaSes We're filled. He ran to the bench
"nefe Jim Hart was managing and
yelled: Let me get behind the bat
go Aheadv
All right said Hart. go ahead.'
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 10 catch. He struck out. Another
Fellow came to the bat. Kelly gave the
signals and nursed Clarkson along. That
felloW 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
TO catch stealing. l never was so sore
IN my life as one day in Boston. l was
catching. and 1 had that ball down to
second twenty feet in front of kel.
Match 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
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 filed
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. ] 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. 1 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 1t was just such
stunts that made Kel the great fellow
that he was"