Willie Keeler (1939)


Date of Birth: 3/3/1872
Date of Death: 1/1/1923
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York

Willie Keeler, nicknamed "Wee Willie" because of his height (5'4-1/2"), played baseball as a youth. In high school, he was captain of the baseball team. He quit high school in his second year to join a semi-pro baseball team. He first played professional baseball in 1892 in the Central New Jersey League and in the Eastern League. His contract was purchased by the New York Giants in September, 1892.

New York Giants

Keeler started his major league baseball career with the New York Giants in 1892. He stayed with the Giants for two seasons but he played in only 14 games in 1892 and 27 games in his second season before being traded to the Brooklyn Grooms/Dodgers.

Brooklyn Grooms/Dodgers

The Giants traded Keeler to the Brooklyn Grooms on July 27, 1893. That season he batted .317 in 7 games with the Giants and 20 games with Brooklyn.

Baltimore Orioles

On January 1, 1894, Keeler was traded to the Baltimore Orioles of the National League, a team that folded in 1899. In his first full season in the major leagues, he batted .371 with 219 hits, career highs in doubles with 27 and in triples with 22, 32 stolen bases, and 94 RBIs in 129 games.

Keeler finished the 1895 season with 213 hits, 24 doubles, 15 triples, 47 stolen bases, and a .377 batting average in 131 games. The following season, he had a career high 67 stolen bases. He ended the 1896 season with 210 hits, 22 doubles, 13 triples, and a .386 batting average in 126 games.

Keeler won the National League batting title in 1897 and 1898. He also led the league in hits in 1897 and 1898 and in OPS in 1897. He finished the 1897 season with career highs in hits (239), doubles (27), and batting average (.424). He also had 19 triples, 64 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of .464, and an OPS of 1.003 in 129 games. The following season he had 216 hits, 28 stolen bases, and a .385 batting average in 129 games.

Return to Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers

In 1899, Keeler returned to the Dodgers (then called the Brooklyn Superbas). He had a strong season in 1899, finishing with 216 hits, 45 stolen bases, and a .379 batting average in 141 games. The following season, he led the NL in hits with 204. He finished the 1900 season with a .362 batting average in 136 games.

Keeler continued to play well in 1901 and 1902. He finished the 1901 season with 202 hits, 18 doubles, 12 triples, 23 stolen bases, and a .339 batting average in 136 games. His numbers were slightly down in 1902, when he batted .333 with 186 hits, 20 doubles, and 19 stolen bases in 133 games.

New York Highlanders/Yankees

Keeler moved to the New York Highlanders/Yankees and the American League in 1903. He finished his first season with the Highlanders with 160 hits, 14 doubles, 24 stolen bases, and a .313 batting average in 132 games. The following season, he batted .343 with 186 hits, 14 doubles, and 21 stolen bases in 143 games.

Keeler's performance dropped in 1905. That year, he had 169 hits, 14 doubles, 19 stolen bases, and a batting average of .302 in 149 games. In 1906, he played in a career high 152 games and he batted .304 with 180 hits and 23 stolen bases.

Keeler became a part time player in 1907, playing in just 107 games. His batting average dropped to .234. He stayed with the team through 1909, but he continued to be only a part-time player in his last two seasons, playing in 91 games in 1908 and in 99 games in 1909.

Return to New York Giants

Keeler was released by the Yankees on February 22, 1910. He returned to the Giants for his last season, playing in just 19 games in 1910.

MLB Awards

  • Led NL in batting average two times
  • Led NL in OPS one time (1897)
  • Led NL in hits three times

Career Statistics

Keeler played in over 100 games in each of 14 seasons (1894-1907). His statistics during that time include:

  • 8 seasons with over 200 hits, with a high of 239 in 1897
  • 7 seasons with over 10 triples, with a high of 22 in 1894
  • 11 seasons with over 20 stolen bases, with a high of 67 in 1896
  • 13 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .424 in 1897

Career batting statistics for Keeler include:

  • 2,123 games played
  • 2,932 hits
  • 241 doubles
  • 145 triples
  • 495 stolen bases
  • 36 strikeouts to 524 walks
  • .341 batting average
  • .388 on-base percentage
  • .803 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Keeler as an outfielder include:

  • 2,039 games played
  • 3,097 putouts
  • 138 errors
  • .960 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Keeler returned to the Eastern League in 1911. Later, he became a scout for the Brooklyn Superbas and the Boston Braves.

Keeler died on January 1, 1923, at the age of 50, from tuberculosis and endocarditis.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Willie Keeler
ESPN - Willie Keeler
Baseball Reference - Willie Keeler

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