William Frederick "Bones" Ely (June 7, 1863 – January 10, 1952) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball.

[1][2] Ely was the starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates for several seasons before Honus Wagner.

Immediately before his release during the 1901 season, an article in The Buffalo Enquirer described the only thing standing between Wagner and Pittsburgh's shortstop job was "Bones Ely, who has gone back faster than an incline car that has slipped a cable.

[4] Bones Ely managed 33 games that season before resigning his position on May 16.

[6] Ely died at the age of 88 in Imola, California.