Mike Kelley (baseball)

For other people with the same name, see Mike Kelley (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Michael Joseph "King" Kelly (1857–1894).

Mike Kelley
Kelley in 1903 with the St. Paul Saints
First baseman / Manager
Born: (1875-12-02)December 2, 1875 Templeton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: June 6, 1955(1955-06-06) (aged 79) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Major league debut
July 15, 1899, for the Louisville Colonels
Last major league appearance
October 14, 1899, for the Louisville Colonels
Major league statistics
Batting average	.241
Home runs	3
Runs batted in	33
Minor league statistics
Managerial record	2,390–2,102
Winning %	.532
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Major league (player) Louisville Colonels (1899) Minor league (manager) St. Paul Saints (1902–1905) Minneapolis Millers (1906) Des Moines Champs (1907) Toronto Maple Leafs (1908) St. Paul Saints (1908–1912) Indianapolis Indians (1913) St. Paul Saints (1915–1923) Minneapolis Millers (1924–1931)
Career highlights and awards
5× American Association pennant (1903, 1904, 1919, 1920, 1922)

Michael Joseph Kelley (December 2, 1875 – June 6, 1955) was an American professional baseball first baseman, manager, and owner. He played professionally for 13 seasons, including one year in the major leagues with the Louisville Colonels of the National League, but he is best known for his career as both a manager and an owner in the minor leagues, which spanned the first half of the 20th century. He became a legendary figure in the "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis–St. Paul.

Baseball career

Born in Templeton, Massachusetts, Kelley's professional baseball career began with the Augusta Kennebecs of the New England League in 1895. He played for various teams in the New England League and the Eastern League until 1899, when he was purchased by the Louisville Colonels of the National League. A right-handed hitter and thrower, he appeared in 76 games that season, and he batted .241 with three home runs and had 33 runs batted in. At the end of the season, the NL shrunk from twelve to eight teams and the Colonels were disbanded. Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the Colonels, bought a half interest in the Pittsburg Pirates and transferred much of Louisville's talent, including Kelley, to Pittsburg. Three months later, the Pirates sold Kelley to the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the American League.

He played with Indianapolis until the club folded midway through the 1901 season, at which point he signed with the St. Paul Saints of the Western League. Kelley was promoted to player-manager of the team for the 1902 season, taking over the job from Jimmy Ryan.

Apart from 4½ seasons, Kelley managed in the Twin Cities through 1931. He coached the St. Paul team for nearly 18 seasons (1902–05; August 1908 – 1912; 1915–23), where he won five championships. His 1920 Saints won 115 games, the 1922 team notched 107 victories – each time winning the pennant – and his 1923 club won 111 games while finishing second, two games behind the Kansas City Blues.

Kelley first managed the Minneapolis Millers for one season (1906). At the close of the 1923 season, he purchased the Millers and became their manager. He led the Millers through 1931, but never won a pennant; his highest finish was second, to the Indianapolis Indians, in 1928. After a sixth-place finish in '31, he retired to the club presidency, operating the Millers until he sold them to the New York Giants in 1946. His overall record in his 30 years as a minor league manager was 2,390 wins and 2,102 losses for a .532 winning percentage.

Post-career

Kelley died at the age of 79 in Minneapolis, and is interred at Lakewood Cemetery.

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet  · Baseball Almanac
• Mike Kelley at Find a Grave