| Willie Keeler | |
|---|---|
 Keelerc. 1903 | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born:(1872-03-03)March 3, 1872 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: January 1, 1923(1923-01-01) (aged 50) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 30, 1892, for the New York Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 5, 1910, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .341 |
| Hits | 2,932 |
| Home runs | 33 |
| Runs batted in | 810 |
| Stolen bases | 495 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1939 |
| Vote | 75.5% (fourth ballot) |
William Henry Keeler (March 3, 1872 – January 1, 1923), nicknamed "Wee Willie" because of his small stature, was an Americanright fielder inMajor League Baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for theBaltimore Orioles andBrooklyn Superbas in theNational League, and theNew York Highlanders in theAmerican League. In1939, Keeler was posthumously elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the greatest contact hitters of all time and notoriously hard to strike out, Keeler has the highest career at bats-per-strikeout ratio in MLB history, averaging 63.17 at bats between each strikeout.[1] His plate appearance-per-strikeout ratio is also one of the best of all time, with Keeler averaging 70.66 plate appearances between strikeouts, second only toJoe Sewell, another Hall of Famer, who averaged 73.06 plate appearances between each strikeout.[2]
William Henry O'Kelleher Jr. (he later Americanized the name to Keeler) was born inBrooklyn,New York, on March 3, 1872, the son of William O'Kelleher Sr., atrolleyswitch man. He played baseball from an early age, and as a freshman served as captain of his high school team. He quit school the following year, and played semiprofessional baseball in the New York City area.
In 1892, after beginning the season playing his second year with thePlainfield Crescent Cities of theCentral New Jersey League, he joined the minor league team inBinghamton, New York, and he was called up to theNew York Giants at the end of the season. After a trip back to the minors because of an injury at the start of the 1893 season, he returned to the Giants later that year. Initially a third baseman, he later moved to the outfield. He quickly established himself as a star, and played until retiring in 1910.[3]
Keeler's advice to hitters was "Keep your eye clear, and hit 'em where they ain't"—"they" being the opposing fielders.[4][a] His .385 careerbatting average after the 1898 season is the highest average in history at season's end for a player with more than 1,000 hits (1,147 hits).[8] He compiled a .341 career batting average, tied for 11th withBill Terry andPete Browning as of 2022.[9] He hit over .300 16 times in 19 seasons, and hit over .400 once. He twice led his league in batting average and three times in hits. Keeler had an amazing 206singles during the 1898 season, a record that stood for more than 100 years until broken byIchiro Suzuki. Additionally, Keeler had anon-base percentage of greater than .400 for seven straight seasons. When Keeler retired in 1910, he was third all-time inhits with 2,932, behind onlyCap Anson andJake Beckley.
He was one of the smallest players to play the game, standing 5 feet 4½ inches and weighing 140 pounds (64 kg), resulting in his nickname. Keeler was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in1939. He appeared as number 75 onThe Sporting News' list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players".[10] In 1999, he was named as a finalist to theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team. Having played his last game in 1910, he was the most chronologically distant player on both Top 100 lists.
Keeler had the ability tobunt most balls pitched to him, enabling him to avoid striking out; his skill at prolonging at bats by fouling pitches off with this method was the impetus for the rule change that made a foul bunt with two strikes a strikeout.[11] In the 1899 season for the Brooklyn Superbas, in 570 at bats, Keeler struck out only twice, setting an AB-per-K mark of 285, an MLB single-season record.[12] WithNed Hanlon's Baltimore Orioles, he perfected the "Baltimore chop", in which he would chop the ball into the ground hard enough to cause a high bounce, which enabled him to reach first base before a fielder could glove the ball and throw him out.Bill James speculated that Keeler introduced thehit and run strategy to the original Orioles and teammateJohn McGraw. In James' theory, Boston'sTommy McCarthy was the first manager to make wide use of the hit and run. McCarthy then taught it toJohn Montgomery Ward, who taught it to Keeler.[13]
In forming the powerfuloriginal Baltimore Orioles of the late 19th century, manager Ned Hanlon was given an ownership stake in the team and a free rein to form his team. In one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history, Hanlon obtainedDan Brouthers and Keeler from Brooklyn in exchange forBilly Shindle andGeorge Treadway. Keeler and six of his teammates from the Orioles were eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.[14]
In 1897, Keeler had a 44-gamehitting streak to start the season, breaking the previous single season record of 42 set byBill Dahlen. Keeler had a hit in his final game of the 1896 season, giving him a National League-record 45-game hitting streak. In 1941, this mark was bettered in the American League byJoe DiMaggio, who had a56-game hitting streak. In 1978,Pete Rose tied Keeler's single season NL mark of 44 games. No other player in baseball has ever matched this feat. Keeler also had eight consecutive seasons with 200 hits or more, a record broken byIchiro Suzuki in 2009.[15]
In 1901, whenBan Johnson formed the American League, one of the first acts was to raid the National League and offer their stars big contracts. In 1901, Keeler received offers from six of the eight new American League clubs, including an offer from Chicago for two years at $4,300 a season ($162,523 in current dollar terms). Keeler remained in Brooklyn and did not actually jump to the new league until 1903, when he signed with the New York Highlanders (renamed theYankees in 1913). In 1905, Keeler set the Yankees team record for most sacrifice hits in a season with 42.[16] Keeler was the Yankees'captain during the 1908 and 1909 seasons.[17]
Keeler remained with the Highlanders through 1909, and played the 1910 season with the New York Giants. Keeler played in 1911 for the Eastern League's Toronto Maple Leafs, and had 43 hits in 39 games.
In 1901 and 1902, while still an active player, Keeler was the head coach of theManhattan Jaspers baseball team.[18][19] After his retirement, Keeler was a scout and coach for the Superbas and theBoston Braves, as well as Brooklyn's Federal League team, the Tip-Tops. He was wealthy after retiring as a player, and invested in mining companies, real estate, and other ventures. His real estate lost value in the post-World War I economic recession, and by the time of his death, his brothers and he had to sell their childhood home.
Keeler was a member of theBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks andKnights of Columbus.[20]
Keeler suffered fromtuberculosis andendocarditis for the last five years of his life. By late 1922, his condition had worsened and whether he would live into the new year was doubtful. Seriously ill by New Year's Eve, he heard bells and sirens in the streets when the new year arrived. Keeler sat up and said to his brother, "You see, the new year is here and so am I—still."[21] He enjoyed a drink and a smoke, then said that he was ready for a long sleep.[21] A short time later, Keeler died; he was 50.[22] He is buried inCalvary Cemetery inQueens, New York.
Keeler is mentioned in the story "Hit 'em where they ain't" byRobert Ruark and as well in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" byOgden Nash.
K is for Keeler,
As fresh as green paint,
The fastest and mostest
To hit where they ain't.
Lew Hartman, the third baseman with Wilkes-Barre in 1892, of late with Milwaukee since released by New York, tells funny stories about the German fans in Milwaukee. [...] There is a German fan in Milwaukee who continually calls out "Well! Well!" [...] One of his principal slogans is to call out: "Now shust hit der ball vere dey ain't!" And it's pretty good advice, at that.[7]
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| National | |
