Atlanta Braves Franchise best catchers: King Kelly
By Fred Owens
Number six: All hail the King
The Atlanta Braves Franchise first – and only– celebrity/superstar off the field, catcher arrived in Boston for the 1888 season.
Kelly became a star in his seven seasons with Chicago White Stockings (Cubs), leading the NL in doubles twice, runs scored three times, and winning two batting titles; batting .354/.414/.524/.938 in 1884 and .399/.483*.534/1.018 in 1886. The 1886 season elevated Kelly to the top-tier of stars in the NL, and fans began calling him King Kelly or “the only Kelly.”
Like most players of that era, Kelly played multiple positions – outfield, third base, and shortstop – as well as catching and doing a little relief pitching as well.
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Catcher defense wasn’t a priority in that era, which was a good thing for Kelly, because he wasn’t a good defender behind the plate. Teams wanted Kelly for his inventiveness and bat; he’d averaged 29 doubles a year from 1881 through 1886 and was sixth in league with 13 homers in 1884.
Kelly liked Chicago and would have gladly agreed to stay except owner Al Spalding wanted him to curtail his favorite sport; drinking. Spalding even withheld pay that the players could get back by playing sober and had players followed to find out who was drinking. After the Cubs failed to beat St Louis – a portent of the team’s future – Spalding decided to get new blood by trading away older stars.
The Beaneaters needed both his production and the fans they knew he’d bring to the games, so they opened their checkbook and Chicago $10,000 ($275,590 in today’s dollars) for Kelly. To keep Kelly happy, Boston paid him $5,000 a year circumventing the league’s salary cap of $2,000 by paying him that plus an additional $3000 for ‘using his picture in advertising’.