George Kelly

George Lange Kelly (September 10, 1895 – October 13, 1984), nicknamed "Long George" and "High Pockets", During the 1915 season, he was purchased by the New York Giants from Victoria for $1,200 (equal to $ today). The Giants were rebuilding their team, and they saw Kelly as a possible replacement for Fred Merkle. However, he played sparingly for the Giants in his first MLB seasons, appearing in only 17 games in 1915 and 49 games in 1916. He was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 25, 1917, to back up Honus Wagner, but did not hit sufficiently.

Finding success in Rochester, Kelly was purchased by the Giants in 1919 when Hal Chase was suspended. The Giants appeared in the World Series in 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924, winning in 1921 and 1922. Kelly set a National League record with seven home runs in six consecutive games in 1924, which has since been matched by Graig Nettles, Walker Cooper, and Willie Mays.

In the final series of the 1924 season, the Giants were playing the Philadelphia Phillies at the Polo Grounds and battling for the pennant with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jimmy O'Connell offered Phillies shortstop Heinie Sand $500 to intentionally lose the games. Sand rejected the bribe and reported it to Phillies manager Art Fletcher. It eventually led to the lifetime suspension of O'Connell and Giants coach Cozy Dolan by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. O'Connell implicated Kelly, Frankie Frisch, and Ross Youngs as co-conspirators. However, Commissioner Landis cleared Kelly, Frisch, and Youngs of any wrongdoing.

That following offseason, Kelly, Sam Bohne, and other Major League Baseball (MLB) players agreed to play professional basketball with O'Connell. National League (NL) president John Heydler insisted that anyone who played with O'Connell could be suspended. The Giants were also displeased with Kelly's arrangement, as they were concerned about the chance he could injure himself in non-baseball activity.

Kelly, naturally a first baseman, saw regular time as a second baseman in 1925 when Frisch injured his hand, while backup Bill Terry began playing first base. and Giants manager John McGraw desiring an improvement in the outfield, Kelly was traded to the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 1927 season for Edd Roush. The Reds traded Roush due to a contract dispute. The Reds released Pipp before the 1929 season, and Kelly returned to first base.

Kelly was released by the Reds on July 10, 1930, and signed by the minor-league Minneapolis Millers of the Class-AA American Association.

In April 1932, the Millers traded Kelly to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Pea Ridge Day. Kelly played his final MLB game on July 27, 1932.

Hall of Fame induction

His arm was so tremendous that he was directed to be the relay man on throws from the outfield. His arm was better, in fact, than any of today's players I can think of. — Frankie Frisch, January 29, 1973 According to the BBWAA, the Veterans Committee was not selective enough in choosing members. Charges of cronyism were levied against the Veterans Committee. When Kelly was elected, the Veterans Committee included two of his former teammates, Bill Terry and Frankie Frisch, who also shepherded the selections of teammates Jesse Haines in 1970, Dave Bancroft and Chick Hafey in 1971, Ross Youngs in 1972, Jim Bottomley in 1974, and Freddie Lindstrom in 1976. This led to the Veterans Committee having its powers reduced in subsequent years.

Coaching career Kelly served as a coach for the Cincinnati Reds, managed by former teammate Chuck Dressen, from 1935 to 1937. In 1954, Kelly managed the independent Wenatchee Chiefs in the Western International League. He is interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. He was the last surviving member of the 1921 and 1922 world champion New York Giants.