KEELER, William Henry

(b. 3 March 1872 in New York City; d. 1 January 1923 in New York City), Hall of Fame outfielder who had a batting average of .432 in 1897 and a lifetime major league batting average of .341. Keeler is regarded as the greatest bat handler who has ever lived.

Keeler, known as "Wee Willie," is one of the most famous and most mysterious stars in the history of baseball, with his major league career celebrated and his private life largely unknown. He was a very unlikely star when he joined the New York Giants in 1892, for he never played in the minor leagues. He was only five feet, four inches tall, and weighed only 140 pounds, and he was a left-handed third baseman. All these factors would keep most players out of the major leagues, but Keeler played third base as well as a right-hander. He was smart, and he was a wonder with a baseball bat.

Although Keeler would play third base, second base, and even a couple of games at shortstop in his career, playing mostly in the infield for the Giants, manager Ned Hanlon of his second team, the Baltimore Orioles (a National League franchise) moved him to right field in 1894. Team-mate John McGraw, a great third baseman who would become the game's greatest manager, said that the greatest catch he ever saw was made by Keeler in right field, leaping high into a barbed wire fence to make the catch. In general, however, Keeler's range in the outfield was below that of most of his contemporaries, although a quick release on balls he fielded made his arm above average.

The Baltimore clubs that Keeler played for from 1894 through 1898 were the greatest of their era and among the best ever, and Keeler was an important part of their success, for his clever, highly controlled hitting contributed to an attack that overwhelmed opposing pitchers. During this period, he became famous and much loved. He spoke in a Brooklyn accent with endearingly subpar grammar. Journalists loved quotes such as "Learn what pitch you can hit good; then wait for that pitch." Behind Keeler's "aw shucks" modesty and fractured English was a keenly intelligent mind that made the most his physical talents.

Keeler became one of baseball's biggest draws, with fans buying tickets just for the chance to see the seeming miracles he worked with his bat. His bat was light and short—only 30.5 inches—and he held it with his upper hand (the left) separated from his lower hand by several inches. His grip could shift according to the situation and what sort of pitch he saw coming his way, as could his batting stance, which usually began open but could close in an instant. Keeler could bunt perfectly down each baseline and past either side of a pitcher, so even when opposing infields were sure he was going to bunt, they had to guess where he was going to bunt or he would still drop the ball out of their reach. Further, Keeler would pop the ball over the heads of the infielders and in front of the outfielders for hits. When outfielders played shallow, Keeler whacked line drives over their heads. In one such situation, he hit a line drive past left fielder Ed Delahanty of Philadelphia for an inside-the-park grand-slam home run.

In the 1890s foul balls did not count as strikes, and a brilliant place-hitter like Keeler could foul off several pitches while looking for the one he wanted. However, in the dawn of the twentieth century the rule changed, with the first two foul balls becoming strikes. The rule had to be further refined because of Keeler. He was such a fine bunter that he would bunt foul several consecutive pitches while waiting for the pitch he favored, so foul bunts were made to count as third strikes. A further change was in the baseball itself, which became the notorious "dead ball" of 1900–1920 (the ball's hard core was wrapped more loosely than before by yarn and stitched loosely as well; this softness caused titanic swings to result in the ball just dribbling on the ground, until a harder, bouncier ball was introduced in 1921). Power-hitting teams had to adjust to a new era of playing just to get one or two runs in a game. The Orioles themselves disappeared in 1899 when the National League reorganized and teams that were in financial trouble were eliminated.

In spite of these changes, Keeler thrived, adjusting his style of play to the new era. It was his good fortune to go to his hometown Brooklyn Superbas that year, where his popularity grew even greater. Hitting balls deep to drive in runners was no longer the best way to play the game, and base running—always important—increased in value; Keeler's quickness served him well. He was an opportunistic runner who, once on first base, was a master at taking an extra base, and he was a fine base stealer.

Keeler shifted leagues in 1903, joining the New York Highlanders of the American League. His fans from Brooklyn followed him to his new team and helped to save it from the financial trouble that threatened its existence. When a journalist suggested that Keeler write about how to hit, he responded with one of baseball's most enduring remarks: "I keep my eyes clear and I hit 'em where they ain't," he said, insisting he had little more to tell. He continued to follow his own advice as a starter through 1909, but his quickness was leaving him, and his batting averages dropped. He retired from the major leagues after the 1910 season, played some minor league games in 1911, then quit playing for good.

Keeler, the friendly, modest ballplayer who had talked to reporters in the dialect of a poor boy from the streets of Brooklyn, proved to be a shrewd investor. He put his earnings into real estate and became a rich man. In private, he was a tough man who would not be bullied; once, tormented by John McGraw, he brawled with McGraw in the showers of the locker room.

When Keeler unexpectedly died of heart disease, he was still beloved by fans. He was one of the wonders of sports, and in 1939 the Baseball Writers of America elected him to the Hall of Fame. Few players have been more deserving. Ted Williams, possibly the best all-around hitter ever, named Keeler to his list of the twenty best hitters. Keeler's ability to advance runners already on base may be unsurpassed, and his ability to disrupt defenses rivals that of Ty Cobb, Oscar Charleston, and Willie Mays. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York, and his grave is a frequent stopping place for baseball fans.

The title of Burt Solomon, Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball (1999), is inspired by Keeler's famous remark. The Baltimore Oriole teams of the late 1890s were some of the best teams in history, and Solomon does a good job of recalling the way baseball was played in those years. Charles F. Faber, Baseball Pioneers: Ratings of Nineteenth Century Players (1997), puts Keeler in the context of his era and suggests how Keeler might measure up against later ballplayers. Leo Trachtenberg, "Wee Willie Keeler: Fame and Failure" in the National Pastime 13 (1993), discusses Keeler's achievements.

Kirk H. Beetz