Show If I I U II f l I Slide Kelly Slide Was Ty Cobb of His Era By Harry Herry Grayson NEA Sports Editor Connie Mack calls caUs Michael J. J Kelly the Tyrus Raymond Cobb of his time Cap Adrian Constantine Constantino Anson said King Kelly i was as a s good a C I JI batter as any- any of a o body and andas a fine a thrower thrower from from SerIes the catchers catcher's position position position po po- po- po or outfield more men having been thrown out by him than any other player Al AI Spink dean of ba baseball writers writers writers writ writ- S ers asserted as s late as 1921 that King Kelly was the greatest player who ever lived Certainly few have had the allaround allaround all allaround around ability of the beauty of the late and early 90 and none had the off oft the field color of the thinking quick-thinking mustached mustached mus- mus Irishman of Troy who wh made Slide Kelly S-L-I-D-E S a a byword of the game Tall TaU powerfully built darkly handsome Kelly was one of the best dressed of his men period period- in tall hat tailored suits ultrafashionable ultrafashionable ultra ultra- fashionable Ascot and patent leather shoes He was the John L. L Sullivan of oJ the diamond could drink more snore brandy and champagne than any man in the house and still play s a whale of a game the next day Gave Gate First Autograph The King was a graceful spender consequently had many friends fair weather and other other- wise In response to idolatrous professions of esteem he was quick with a buck in barrooms when he had It which wasn't always al always always al- al ways for it was difficult for a ayoung ayoung ayoung young man like him to keep in founds Hed He'd have broke the Bank sank of England Kelly was the first player cranks as fans were known in those days followed on the streets He was the original target of autograph s seekers ekers Kelly broke in on the sandlots of ot Paterson N. N J. J where he lie worked for 3 a week At 20 he moved to Columbus to play with witha a semiprofessional aggregation Cincinnati picked him up and as the began he came into renown renown re re- re- re flown for the first time with Cap Ansons Anson's Chicago White Stockings Kelly was the first ball player sold for and to get important money Soden Billings and Conant Conant Conant Co- Co nant who owned the Boston Nationals Na Na- paid the White Stockings for him in 87 gave him a year Editorials were written about it ft Hub cranks presented their King with a glistening horse and r i-i- i S v- v tv King Kelly Was Ty Cobb of his hs day in iii baseball carriage so he could ride to the park In style Kelly a left hand batter turned in an average of to be baseballs baseball's base base- balls baIls top hitter for the champion White Stockings the year before the bought him hun He could circle the bases in 15 seconds scored runs John Clarkson with whom h he formed one of of- the crack batteries batteries' of the day accompanied accompanied panted him to Beantown It was the Kings King's amazing ability abil abil- ity to do everything that Ty Cobb did 25 years later however which left Slide SUd Kelly S L to ring down the hall of fame for for- ever Mack Black TeUs Tells of Kelly Like Cobb says Connie Mack Kelly gave gave an infielder or catcher anything more than the tip of his toe to tag He had all ail of Tys Ty's stuff the stuff the fac face e WaY fall- fall away and hook slides and a few so distinctively his own that others could not copy themAs themAs themAs them As the Washington catcher I had the ball in my hand waiting for him one afternoon He shouted to the one umpire who worked in those days Watch It I haven't tagged him yet Kelly would cut second by from fron 10 to 20 feet in first to third on a. a tap to the infield while the theone one umpire h had d his eyes glued on the play at first st st. S Similarly Simi SIm- he would cut third in scoring scoring scoring I ing from second Kelly came i in from right field one day when we had the bases full and none out In a late inning His old Chicago partner Clarkson I appeared to be in trouble but wasn't when King shouted Let me catch him Boston had a splendid catcher who didn't like Ilke it but the King steadied Clarkson and we didn't score Kelly Wrote the Rules Kelly did so many things first that he practically wrote the rules A. A G. G Spalding offered Kelly not to hop the Players' Players Brotherhood league in 90 but the King refused to go back on the boys The Boston management became fed up on his royal temperament and sent him to New York in 93 where he was suspended for going on a beer bust and to the races when he was supposed to be steaming steaming steam stean- ing himself into shape in a Turkish bath King Kelly was out of baseball and on the stage a year when he I died of pneumonia in November 94 at the age of 37 just 37 just In time timeto timeto timeto to escape the one thing in the world he feared lack feared lack of funds to play the golden boy Next Fielder Jones |