Pat Kelly (baseball outfielder)
Encyclopedia
Harold Patrick Kelly was an American
right fielder
in Major League Baseball
. From through , Kelly played for the Minnesota Twins
(1967–68), Kansas City Royals
(1969–70), Chicago White Sox
(1971–76), Baltimore Orioles
(1977–80) and Cleveland Indians
(1981). He batted and threw left-handed. He is also the brother of Leroy Kelly
, a Pro Football Hall of Fame
running back
.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Kelly debuted with the Twins in 1967. He played in 20 games over two seasons with Minnesota before spending two years with the Royals.
Kelly made the American League All-Star team as a member of the White Sox in , during a season in which he hit .280 in a career-high 144 games. Some of his best seasons were as a clutch-hitting, platoon player for the powerful Orioles' teams of 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1979 World Series
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
Kelly finished his majors career when he hit .213 (16-for-75) in 48 games for the Cleveland Indians during the strike-shortened 1981 season
.
In a 15-season career, Kelly was a .264 hitter with 76 home run
s and 418 runs batted in
in 1385 games played
. He added 1,147 hits
, 189 doubles
, 35 triples
and 250 stolen base
s.
Following his retirement as a player, Kelly moved to Towson, Maryland
, and became an ordained minister for Lifeline Ministries. He died suddenly from a heart attack
in Baltimore, Maryland at age 61 and is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
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...
. From through , Kelly played for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1967–68), Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1969–70), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1971–76), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1977–80) and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1981). He batted and threw left-handed. He is also the brother of Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73....
, a Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Kelly debuted with the Twins in 1967. He played in 20 games over two seasons with Minnesota before spending two years with the Royals.
Kelly made the American League All-Star team as a member of the White Sox in , during a season in which he hit .280 in a career-high 144 games. Some of his best seasons were as a clutch-hitting, platoon player for the powerful Orioles' teams of 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1979 World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Kelly finished his majors career when he hit .213 (16-for-75) in 48 games for the Cleveland Indians during the strike-shortened 1981 season
1981 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, co-MVPsNOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
.
In a 15-season career, Kelly was a .264 hitter with 76 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 418 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 1385 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. He added 1,147 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 189 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 35 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 250 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
Following his retirement as a player, Kelly moved to Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
, and became an ordained minister for Lifeline Ministries. He died suddenly from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Baltimore, Maryland at age 61 and is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens
Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens
Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum is a cemetery and mausoleum in Timonium, Maryland, a fashionable Baltimore County suburban community. It is located at 200 E. Padonia Rd, about two miles from the intersection of Interstate 83 and Padonia Road...
.