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Show -KING KELLY'S" MEDAL NOW RESTS IN HOCK1 i In a pawnshop In Park Row is a medal presented to "King" Kolly Mike Kelly "ten thousand dollar" Kelly. Customers aek, "Who wa3 ho?" a tragic commentary. commen-tary. Indeed, upon life's little span. Tho medal was presented In 1SS7 by tho Boston Globe shortly after tho baseball world had been electrified by tho announcement an-nouncement that tho Boston Nationals had purchased Kelly from Chicago for tho sum of $10,000. It cost about $2G0, but now rests in a pawshop window tar-I tar-I nished, dusty and forgotten. Fifteen -2ars ago Michael J. Kelly was conceded to ba tho finest all-round player in tho profession, being ablo to tako any position except pitching, and occasionally ho even did that. Ho was born in Troy, N. Y., in 1837, and had his first professional profession-al cngagomont with the Olympics of Pat-crrpn Pat-crrpn in 1S7S-77. A yoar lator found him with tho Buckeyes Buck-eyes of "Columbus, O., McCormock pitching. pitch-ing. In 1879 ho was rlnht fielder and chango catchor for the Cincinnati league team, Joining Chicago tho somo year in tho uamo capacity. Ho was regarded In baseball llko John L. Sullivan In pugilism. He caught fro- quontly without hat, mask, protoctor or mouth rubber and was regarded as tho best catcher that over stood bohlnd tho bat. He had nover an onomy, although ho "kidded" a crowd with moro audacity than any player beforo or since. In St. Louis ono day tho Qucon of England's Eng-land's birthday ho turned to the Irish rooters sitting in Kerry patch and yelled: "God save tho Queen." He then bepm to whistle "Tho Boyno Watisr." Htartlng a riot that tho police could only quell by explaining ex-plaining that "Mlko" was tho boat Catholic Catho-lic and Irishman of them all. Kelly stood five feet eleven Inches and weighed ISO pounds. Ho led tho league batsmen In 1&SJ with an average of .370 but took too many chances in tho field to mako high averages there Kelly played with Now York in 1S?3. and after that raanagod a team In Allentown. Pa. Ho died Novembop 8. 1KM. of acuto pneumonia In the Emergency hospital at Boston. |