Richard Anthony Kelley was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional baseball

Professional baseball

Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....

 player. A left-handed

Left-handed

Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

 pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

, Kelley's career extended for 14 seasons, and he spent all or parts of seven years in Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 as a member of the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

 and San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

.

The native of Brighton, Massachusetts, stood 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) and weighed 174 pounds (78.9 kg) during his playing career. He pitched in 188 Major League games between 1964–1969 and in 1971, 61 as a starter

Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....

. In , as an original member of the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 Padres

1969 San Diego Padres season

was the first season for the San Diego Padres, who joined the National League along with the Montreal Expos. In their inaugural season, the Padres won 52 and lost 110, finishing last in the National League's newly-created Western Division, 41 games behind the division champion Atlanta...

, acquired during the expansion draft

1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft

The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball which would begin play in the 1969 season....

, he started 23 games, fourth most on the club. Overall, Kelley won 18 of 48 decisions (.375) in MLB, with five shutouts

Shutout (baseball)

In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run...

 and five saves and an earned-run average of 3.39. He had a 69–45 (.605) record in minor league baseball

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

, including a stellar 11–2 mark and 2.16 ERA in 14 starts in the Triple-A International League

International League

The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...

 in 1965.

Kelley retired as an active player after the 1972 season, and died in Northridge, California, at the age of 51.