| Pat Kelly | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Pat_Kelly_1977.jpg) Kelly at bat in 1977 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: July 30, 1944 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: October 2, 2005 (aged 61) Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
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 runs | 76 |
| Runs batted in | 418 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Harold Patrick Kelly (July 30, 1944 – October 2, 2005) was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder 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. His brother, Leroy, was a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kelly was an "All Public" baseball player at Simon Gratz High School, honored with the Cliveden Award as Philadelphia's finest prep school athlete in 1962. Signed by the Twins that year, he spent the next several seasons in the minor leagues, debuting with the Twins in 1967. He played a handful of games for them in 1968, then was selected in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft by the Royals, becoming an everyday player over the next two years with the fledgling franchise. Traded to the White Sox before the 1971 season, he spent part of 1971 in the minor leagues but got more playing time as a right fielder and designated hitter in the following years, reaching the All-Star Game for the only time in his career in 1973. Traded to the Orioles after the 1976 season, he received significant playing time in left field in 1977 and 1978, then served as a bench player the next two years. With a career-high .536 slugging percentage in 1979, Kelly helped the Orioles reach the MLB playoffs, appearing in the World Series, which Baltimore lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games. After one last season with the Indians in 1981, Kelly retired.
After becoming a born-again Christian in 1975, Kelly became very involved in Christian ministry. Under his influence, several of his Oriole teammates became Christians. Following his career, he became an ordained minister, serving at ministries in Baltimore and Cleveland until his death of a heart attack in 2005.