Bill Kelly
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1920-1928)
Bill Kelly was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1928 for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 9 seasons. In 32 career games, he hit .179 with 15 hits and 5 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- Died
- 4/8/1990 in Syracuse, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1920-09-06
- Last Game
- 1928-05-12
Full name: William Henry Kelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 84 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 22 | .179 | .242 | .226 | .468 | -442 |
Career AVG .179 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — 35.5% below league average.
Career OBP .242 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 28.4% below league average.
Career SLG .226 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 40.5% below league average.
Career OPS .468 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 34.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | PHA | AL | 9 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | PHI | NL | 23 | 71 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 20 | .169 | .280 (-40%) | .342 (-29%) | .395 (-47%) | .737 (-38%) | -441.7 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 32 | 84 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 22 | .179 | — | — | — | — | -442 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (31 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | .227 |
| Away | 23 | 60 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 2 | .167 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928-05-12 | PHI | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-05-11 | PHI | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1928-05-10 | PHI | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1928-05-09 | PHI | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1928-05-08 | PHI | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-05-07 | PHI | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1928-05-06 | PHI | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1928-05-05 | PHI | CHC | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1928-05-02 | PHI | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-05-01 | PHI | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 24 |
Bill Kelly: the record in brief
According to the bio, Bill Kelly debuted on September 6, 1920 and played a final game on May 12, 1928. By club, Kelly's seasons break down as the Philadelphia Athletics (1920) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1928). Kelly played primarily as a first baseman and batted and threw right-handed. Born on December 28, 1898, in Syracuse, NY, USA, Kelly was listed at 6'0" and 190 pounds. Kelly died on April 8, 1990, in Syracuse, NY, USA. On the record, Bill Kelly was born William Henry Kelly.
The batting record for Kelly: 32 games, 15 hits in 84 at bats, and a .179 average, plus 5 RBI. The on-base percentage is .242 and the slugging percentage .226, for an OPS of .468. Kelly's .179 average ran 35.5% below the .277 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .468 to a league .717, 34.8% below average. The hits column peaks at 12, in 1928. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .169 in 1928, did not top the league's .280.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Kelly
- What years did Bill Kelly play?
- Bill Kelly played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1928.
- Was Bill Kelly a pitcher?
- No. Bill Kelly was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bill Kelly hit?
- Bill Kelly hit 0 career home runs with 15 hits.
- What teams did Bill Kelly play for?
- Bill Kelly played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Athletics (1920) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1928).
- What were Bill Kelly's career stats?
- In 32 games, Bill Kelly had 15 hits, 5 RBI, and 6 runs, with a .179 batting average.
- What position did Bill Kelly play?
- Bill Kelly played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Kelly and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Kelly was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- What was Bill Kelly's career batting average?
- Bill Kelly batted .179 over his career, with 15 hits in 84 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Kelly have?
- Bill Kelly drove in 5 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Kelly in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Kelly has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.