Van Kelly
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1970)
Van Kelly was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1970 for the San Diego Padres, a span of 2 seasons. In 111 career games, he hit .221 with 66 hits, 4 home runs, and 24 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1969-06-13
- Last Game
- 1970-06-12
Full name: Van Howard Kelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 298 | 25 | 66 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 45 | .221 | .286 | .302 | .588 | -704 |
Career AVG .221 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 11.8% below league average.
Career OBP .286 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 11.4% below league average.
Career SLG .302 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 20.0% below league average.
Career OPS .588 vs. league average .700 across their career seasons — 16.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | SDN | NL | 73 | 209 | 16 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 24 | .244 | .248 (-2%) | .320 (-11%) | .369 (-11%) | .689 (-11%) | -368.4 |
| 1970 | SDN | NL | 38 | 89 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 21 | .169 | .253 (-34%) | .325 (-11%) | .385 (-39%) | .711 (-26%) | -336.1 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 111 | 298 | 25 | 66 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 45 | .221 | — | — | — | — | -704 | ||
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 (111 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 53 | 118 | 12 | 32 | 1 | 8 | .271 |
| Away | 58 | 180 | 13 | 34 | 3 | 16 | .189 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-12 | SDP | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-06-09 | SDP | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970-06-07 | SDP | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970-06-01 | SDP | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-30 | SDP | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970-05-27 | SDP | CIN | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970-05-26 | SDP | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-25 | SDP | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-24 | SDP | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-24 | SDP | SFG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 11 |
| Third Base | 76 |
Van Kelly: the record in brief
June 13, 1969 and June 12, 1970 bracket Van Kelly's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column never changes: it is the San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1970. At 180 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, Kelly is listed as a third baseman. Kelly batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is March 18, 1946, in Charlotte, NC, USA. The given name on file is Van Howard Kelly.
Kelly's career batting table shows 111 games, 298 at bats and 66 hits, a .221 average, adding 4 home runs and 24 RBI. Kelly's career OPS of .588 combines a .286 on-base mark with .302 slugging. Measured against the leagues Kelly played in, the .221 career average compares with a .251 league average over the same seasons, 11.8% below the league. The OPS comparison is .588 to a league .700, 16.0% below average. The hits column peaks at 51, in 1969. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .244 in 1969, did not top the league's .248.
Frequently Asked Questions about Van Kelly
- What years did Van Kelly play?
- Van Kelly played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1970.
- Was Van Kelly a pitcher?
- No. Van Kelly was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Van Kelly hit?
- Van Kelly hit 4 career home runs with 66 hits.
- What teams did Van Kelly play for?
- Van Kelly played for one team, the San Diego Padres (1969–1970).
- What were Van Kelly's career stats?
- In 111 games, Van Kelly had 66 hits, 4 home runs, 24 RBI, and 25 runs, with a .221 batting average.
- What position did Van Kelly play?
- Van Kelly played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Van Kelly and how much did he weigh?
- Van Kelly was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Van Kelly hit each season?
- Van Kelly's home runs by season: 3 in 1969 and 1 in 1970. His most in one season was 3, in 1969.
- What was Van Kelly's career batting average?
- Van Kelly batted .221 over his career, with 66 hits in 298 at bats.
- How many RBI did Van Kelly have?
- Van Kelly drove in 24 runs in his career.
- Is Van Kelly in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Van Kelly has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.