Slide, Kelly, Slide: The Wild Life and Times of Mike King Kelly: The Wild Life and Times of Mike King Kelly (American Sports History) (American Sports History Series) (Volume 3)

Slide, Kelly, Slide: The Wild Life and Times of Mike King Kelly: The Wild Life and Times of Mike King Kelly (American Sports History) (American Sports History Series) (Volume 3) by Appel, Marty. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781578860036.

Mike "King" Kelly was a hard-living, hard-drinking son of a Civil War veteran whose skills at baseball and infectious charm turned him into the games first hero, and a symbol of what it meant to be a celebrity in America in the 1880s and 1890s. A Hall of Famer and a two-time batting champion, Kellys greatest contribution was probably in the popularity he brought to the game, which resulted in the 20th centurys first fans, as the game began to mature from the rough and tumble times of Mike and his cohorts.