As manager Joseph James Kelley (December 9, 1871 – August 14, 1943) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who starred in the outfield of the Baltimore Orioles teams of the 1890s.

[1] In his MLB career, Kelley played in the National League (NL) for the Boston Beaneaters (1891), Pittsburgh Pirates (1892), Baltimore Orioles (1892–1898), and Brooklyn Superbas (1899–1901), before he jumped to the upstart American League to play for the Baltimore Orioles (1902).

After extending his career in the minor leagues, he coached the Brooklyn Robins (1926), and scouted for the New York Yankees (1915–1916).

In recognition of his career achievements, Kelley was elected a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971.

[3][4] Kelley made his professional debut with the Lowell Indians of the New England League (NEL) in 1891, at age 19.

[3] The Pittsburgh Pirates of the NL purchased Kelley's contract from Omaha for $500 ($16,956 in current dollar terms) on July 2, 1892.

Ned Hanlon, new manager of the Baltimore Orioles, traded George Van Haltren to the Pirates for Kelley and $2,000 ($67,822 in current dollar terms) in September 1892.

[10] These Orioles teams, led by John McGraw, were known to break the rules in order to win, including tampering with their bats and the playing field.

[12] Kelley hit ten home runs in 1895, a then-franchise record,[13] tying him for fifth in the NL with five other players.

He also tied Brodie for second with 134 RBI, finished fourth with 54 stolen bases, fifth with a .546 SLG, and sixth with a .456 OBP.

[16] That year, he finished fifth in the NL in batting average (.362) and RBI (118), seventh in OBP (.447), and eighth in SLG (.489).

[19] The Superbas won the NL pennant in 1899 and 1900, as Kelley finished tenth in RBI (93), OBP (.410), and tied several players for tenth in home runs (6) in 1899[20] and led the team with a .319 batting average in 1900,[19][21] while finishing fourth in the league in SLG (.485), tying Hickman for seventh in RBI (91), and tying Jimmy Collins and Buck Freeman for tenth in home runs (6).

[21] After the 1901 season, Kelley denied reports that he would jump from the Superbas to the Detroit Tigers of the American League (AL), the former Western League which had decided to compete with the NL by creating franchises in east coast cities that housed NL franchises.

[3] Kelley stated that the Orioles owed $12,000 ($422,585 in current dollar terms), and that selling his shares was the only way Mahon could pay the team's debts.

[31][32] However, the other NL owners saw the situation as a coup for their league, and compelled Hanlon to drop his complaint.

[3] Kelley batted .322 for the Maple Leafs as a part-time player, spending time in left field and first base.

[3] With Fred Tenney set to leave the Boston Doves of the NL for the Giants,[36] the Doves claimed Kelley from the Maple Leafs,[35][37] signing Kelley to a two-year contract[38] with an annual salary of $5,500 ($186,511 in current dollar terms).

[3][45] Former teammate Wilbert Robinson, then manager of the Brooklyn Robins, hired Kelley and McGinnity to join his coaching staff for the 1926 MLB season.

He covered an immense amount of ground and had that necessary faculty, so prominent in Speaker and others, of being able to place himself where the batter would be likely to hit the ball.

[47] Kelley tied Fred Carroll's MLB record with nine hits in a doubleheader,[48][49] which he presently shares with eight other players.

Kelley was considered by the Veterans Committee for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964,[48] but was not selected.