Russell Errett McKelvy (September 8, 1854 – October 19, 1915) was an American Major League Baseball player who played

center field A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the Baseball positions, baseball and softball fielding position between Left fielder, left field and Right fielder, right field. In the numberi ...

for the

Indianapolis Blues The Indianapolis Blues were a baseball team in the National League for one season (1878), in which they finished fifth in the six-team league with a 24–36 record. They were managed by outfielder/first baseman/catcher John Clapp, and played the ...

of the National League (the only year the Blues were in the Major Leagues), and one game in

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

Career

After attending Allegheny College from 1873 through 1877, McKelvy signed with the Indianapolis Blues of the National league for the 1878 season. He became the first player from Allegheny College to make it to the Major League level, as well the first to hit a home run. It came against

Bobby Mitchell Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and flanker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell becam ...

on June 1, 1878, in the top of the third inning, when he hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run. It was the only home run Mitchell surrendered during his four-year career. McKelvy played in a league leading 63 games that season, 62 of them in center field, which also led all National league center fielders in

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

. His two home runs were third, and his 36 runs batted in were seventh amongst the league leaders. He pitched in a total of four games as a pitcher, one of which was a

start Start can refer to multiple topics: *Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports *Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race Acronyms *St ...

, and the other three came in relief. 1878 was the only year that the Blues were at the Major League level, and McKelvy did not reappear in the Majors until he made a one-game return, for the 1882 Pittsburgh Alleganys. In that game, played on August 24, 1882, he played right field, batted four times, and did not have a hit. This was his last appearance in the Majors.

Post-career

McKelvy died at the age of 61 in Omaha, Nebraska, and is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKelvy, Russ 1854 births 1915 deaths 19th-century baseball players Major League Baseball center fielders Indianapolis Blues players Pittsburgh Alleghenys players Pittsburgh Allegheny players Allegheny Gators baseball players Baseball players from Pennsylvania Baseball players from San Francisco People from Swissvale, Pennsylvania