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Slide, Kelly, Slide
The National Baseball Hall of Fame enshrined King Kelly in their halls way back in 1945. Their online bio reads in part, "Not only was Mike 'King' Kelly one of the premier players of his day, he was also one of the most flamboyant. His daring baserunning prompted fans to coin the battle cry, Slide, Kelly, Slide, and the catcher-outfielder sparked the Chicago Nationals to five pennants." Baseball Almanac is pleased to present that legendary battle cry / turned poem / turned song, Slide, Kelly, Slide.
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"The inspiration of the immortal poem, 'Slide, Kelly, Slide,' was that most idolized ballplayer, Mike Kelly, one of the most fascinating figures ever to dig a cleated shoe into the diamond. He was a slashing, dashing, devil-may-care athlete, good-natured, big-hearted, sincere. He had perhaps the keenest brain that baseball ever knew." - Author Frank Menke in Encyclopedia of Sports (1944)
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Published by Frank Harding, New York (1889)
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Slide, Kelly, Slide!
Your running's a disgrace!
Slide, Kelly, Slide!
Stay there, hold your base!
If some one doesn't steal you,
And your batting doesn't fail you,
They'll take you to Australia!
Slide, Kelly, Slide!
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Slide, Kelly, Slide
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Did you know that Mike "King" Kelly was not only a hall of fame baseball player, but also the author of the first baseball autobiography (Play Ball: Stories of the Ball Field) ever published (1888)? Did you know that the "Slide, Kelly, Slide" expression became so popular in the United States that it was a common expression used whenever imminent danger was near?
The nickname came due to his immense popularity which extended well beyond the team he was playing for. His legendary career was (incorrectly) reported as the inspiration for Casey at the Bat (though it was often referred to as Kelly at the Bat), often credited as the creator of the hit & run play, and his Hall of Fame plaque reads as follows:
MIKE J. (KING) KELLY
COLORFUL PLAYER AND AUDACIOUS
BASE-RUNNER. IN 1887 FOR BOSTON
HE HIT .394 AND STOLE 84 BASES.
HIS SALE FOR $10,000 WAS ONE OF
THE BIGGEST DEALS OF BASEBALL'S
EARLY HISTORY. |
Every possible Mike "King" Kelly stat (click here for those) can be seen on Baseball Almanac — and those seeking even more information should read Slide, Kelly, Slide: The Wild Life and Times of Mike "King" Kelly, Baseball's First Superstar.
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