Pat Kelly (outfielder)

Harold Patrick Kelly (July 30, 1944 – October 2, 2005) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right fielder from 1967 to 1981 with the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Indians. He batted and threw left-handed. He is the brother of Leroy Kelly, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.[1]

Pat Kelly
Kelly at bat in 1977
Right fielder
Born: (1944-07-30)July 30, 1944
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: October 2, 2005(2005-10-02) (aged 61)
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 6, 1967, for the Minnesota Twins
Last MLB appearance
October 4, 1981, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average.264
Home runs76
Runs batted in418
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Baseball career

A native of Philadelphia PA he graduated from Simon Gratz High School and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1962. Kelly debuted with the Twins in 1967. He played in 20 games over two seasons with Minnesota before spending two years with the Royals.[1]

Kelly made the American League All-Star team as a member of the White Sox in 1973, 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 made the last out of the 1979 World Series, flying out to Pirates outfielder Omar Moreno.

Kelly finished his major league career when he hit .213 (16-for-75) in 48 games for the Cleveland Indians during the strike-shortened 1981 season.[1]

In a 15-season career, Kelly was a .264 hitter with 76 home runs and 418 runs batted in in 1,385 games played. He added 1,147 hits, 189 doubles, 35 triples and 250 stolen bases.[1]

Later career and death

At age 36, 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 Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, at age 61 and is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.[2]

References
  1. Baseball Reference
  2. Associated Press. "Former All-Star OF Pat Kelly dead at 61," USA Today (Oct. 3, 2005).
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