King Kelly Substitute - Fact or Fiction

[SmedIndy]

The substitute rule, changed in 1887 to prevent teams from playing short a man (like in the infamous game with Charlie Sweeney and Hoss Radbourn in Providence in 1884), was changed in 1889 to allow for one sub (printed on the scorecard) to enter at the completion of each inning.

In 1891 it was amended again to resemble the current rule, as a sub could enter at any time during a game.

The story is that King Kelly, nursing a hangover, was on the bench. A foul pop was hit and the Boston catcher couldn't get to it. Kelly supposedly announced "Kelly now catching for Boston" and caught the foul pop for the out.

The rule was supposedly changed after that to prevent something like that happening again.

Great story. Doubt that it happened.

According to "The Rules of Baseball" by David Nemec, the next revision of the substitution rule was in 1910, long after Kelly passed away, and concerned the announcement of substitutes by the team captains.

This probably was a story that was embellished over the year, and there may be a slight element of truth (Kelly hung over? Say it isn't so, King!) but as written and told is probably not true.

[sweaver]

It sounds fishy, and probably isn't true, but truth never stands in the way of a good story!

I bet Queen Kelly was really responsible for the rule. It's always the women who make history but never get credit for it.

[RichG]

Originally posted by SmedIndy

The story is that King Kelly, nursing a hangover, was on the bench. A foul pop was hit and the Boston catcher couldn't get to it. Kelly supposedly announced "Kelly now catching for Boston" and caught the foul pop for the out.

The rule was supposedly changed after that to prevent something like that happening again.

.

I heard /read the same story decades ago but in this version King Kelly was Gene Mauch.

I probably read it in Baseball Digest in the 60's or 70's.

[KCBOOMER]

The story is to good to not be apochryfal.

[Skip]

apocryphal.