Joe Kelly
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1914-1919)
Joe Kelly was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1919 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Braves, a span of 6 seasons. In 376 career games, he hit .224 with 300 hits, 6 home runs, and 117 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 8/16/1977 in St. Joseph, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1914-04-14
- Last Game
- 1919-05-27
Full name: Joseph Henry Kelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 376 | 1,341 | 129 | 300 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 117 | 66 | 80 | 143 | .224 | .272 | .298 | .570 | -2,594 |
Career AVG .224 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 11.9% below league average.
Career OBP .272 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career SLG .298 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career OPS .570 vs. league average .651 across their career seasons — 12.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | PIT | NL | 141 | 508 | 47 | 113 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 21 | 39 | 59 | .222 | .255 (-13%) | .322 (-12%) | .339 (-11%) | .661 (-12%) | -940.1 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 54 | 169 | 18 | 43 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 16 | .254 | .248 (+2%) | .314 (-6%) | .326 (+5%) | .640 (avg) | -38.4 |
| 1917 | BSN | NL | 116 | 445 | 41 | 99 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 21 | 26 | 45 | .222 | .248 (-11%) | .312 (-14%) | .323 (-8%) | .635 (-11%) | -767.5 |
| 1918 | BSN | NL | 47 | 155 | 20 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 12 | .232 | .255 (-9%) | .318 (-17%) | .326 (-9%) | .645 (-13%) | -332.8 |
| 1919 | BSN | NL | 18 | 64 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | .141 | .262 (-46%) | .322 (-52%) | .347 (-55%) | .670 (-54%) | -515.6 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 376 | 1,341 | 129 | 300 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 117 | 66 | 80 | 143 | .224 | — | — | — | — | -2,594 | ||
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 (376 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 186 | 662 | 69 | 144 | 4 | 65 | .218 |
| Away | 190 | 680 | 60 | 156 | 2 | 55 | .229 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-05-27 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-23 | BSN | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-21 | BSN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-20 | BSN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1919-05-17 | BSN | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-16 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-14 | BSN | STL | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-13 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1919-05-08 | BSN | NY1 | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919-05-06 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 143 |
| Center Field | 212 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Kelly (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Joe Kelly: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 14, 1914 and the final game on May 27, 1919, Joe Kelly built the record summarized on this page. By club, Kelly's seasons break down as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1914), the Chicago Cubs (1916), and the Boston Braves (1917 through 1919). Kelly, an outfielder by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 175 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads September 23, 1886, in Weir City, KS, USA. Kelly died on August 16, 1977, in St. Joseph, MO, USA. Joe Kelly was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph Henry.
Kelly finished with 300 hits from 1,341 at bats in 376 games, which works out to .224, along with 6 homers, 117 runs batted in, and 66 stolen bases. Kelly's career OPS of .570 combines a .272 on-base mark with .298 slugging. Over the seasons Kelly played, league hitters batted .254; the .224 career figure is 11.9% below that. The OPS comparison is .570 to a league .651, 12.5% below average. No season topped the 113 hits of 1914.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Kelly
- What years did Joe Kelly play?
- Joe Kelly played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1919.
- Was Joe Kelly a pitcher?
- No. Joe Kelly was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Joe Kelly hit?
- Joe Kelly hit 6 career home runs with 300 hits.
- What teams did Joe Kelly play for?
- Joe Kelly played for 3 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1914), the Chicago Cubs (1916), and the Boston Braves (1917–1919).
- What were Joe Kelly's career stats?
- In 376 games, Joe Kelly had 300 hits, 6 home runs, 117 RBI, 129 runs, and 66 stolen bases, with a .224 batting average.
- What position did Joe Kelly play?
- Joe Kelly played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Kelly and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Kelly was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Kelly hit each season?
- Joe Kelly's home runs by season: 1 in 1914, 2 in 1916, 3 in 1917, 0 in 1918, and 0 in 1919. His most in one season was 3, in 1917.
- What was Joe Kelly's career batting average?
- Joe Kelly batted .224 over his career, with 300 hits in 1,341 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Kelly have?
- Joe Kelly drove in 117 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Kelly in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Kelly has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.