John Kelly

Born: 3/3/1859 in Paterson, NJ, USA

Died: 4/13/1908 in Paterson, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1879-06-07 | Final Game: 1884-10-19

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: John Francis Kelly

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Biography

John Kelly, born in 1859, was a professional baseball player who played in the late 19th century, a time characterized by the transition from the underhand pitching of the deadball era to the more dynamic styles that would follow. His career spanned from 1879 to 1884, during which he participated in 122 games as a position player. Kelly recorded 106 hits in his career, achieving a batting average of .226. While he hit just one home run and drove in five runs, his contributions to the teams he played for were indicative of the evolving game during his era. Kelly's playing style and statistics reflect the challenges faced by many players of his time, as offensive metrics were beginning to take shape in the emerging landscape of professional baseball. Despite not being known for speed—evidenced by his zero stolen bases—Kelly was part of the formative years of the sport, contributing to its growth and popularity. His career, though not marked by overwhelming statistical achievements, adds to the rich tapestry of baseball history, showcasing the diverse talents that have graced the field in its early days.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
122	469	48	106	17	3	1	5	0	10	26	0.226	0.242	0.281	0.524	-1048.8

Career AVG .226 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.

Career OBP .242 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — 13.3% below league average.

Career SLG .281 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 15.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.524 vs. league average 0.612 across their career seasons — 14.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1879	CL2	NL	1	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1882	CL2	NL	30	104	6	14	2	0	0	5	1	24	0.135	.248 (-46%)	.275 (-48%)	.329 (-53%)	.605 (-51%)	-744.7
1883	BL2	AA	48	202	18	46	9	2	0	0	3	0	0.228	.257 (-11%)	.285 (-16%)	.345 (-15%)	.631 (-16%)	-504.7
1883	PHI	NL	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	-504.7
1884	CNU	UA	38	142	23	40	5	1	1	0	6	0	0.282	.243 (+16%)	.278 (+11%)	.327 (+8%)	.606 (+9%)	200.7
1884	WSU	UA	4	14	1	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.357	—	—	—	—	200.7

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	7	0	0	1
C	109	518	137	133	8
OF	17	27	4	9	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1879	CL2	1B	1	7	0	0	1
1879	CL2	C	1	4	0	3	0
1882	CL2	C	30	113	35	37	2
1883	BL2	C	38	169	35	50	3
1883	BL2	OF	13	19	3	8	0
1883	PHI	OF	1	1	1	0	0
1884	CNU	C	37	210	60	42	3
1884	CNU	OF	2	6	0	1	0
1884	WSU	C	3	22	7	1	0
1884	WSU	OF	1	1	0	0	0