Retired Manchester Major Leaguer Tom Kelley Dies

Tom Kelley, a Manchester native who pitched in Major League Baseball for parts of seven seasons, passed away Sept. 25 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He was 71.

Born in Manchester in 1944, Kelley was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1963. The 6-foot, 185 lb. righthander posted a 9-9 record with Charleston of the Double-A Eastern League the following year, earning a late-season callup to the majors, where he made six relief appearances.

After posting an outstanding 16-3 record with a 2.38 ERA for Portland of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1965, including a no-hitter against Spokane on May 29, Kelley returned to the parent Indians and went 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA in four late-season appearances. He then spent the entire 1966 season with the Tribe, but could only manage a 4-8 record in 31 games, including seven starts.

Back in the minors the following spring, Kelley underwent shoulder surgery and fell as far as Class-A ball before reviving his career in the Atlanta Braves minor league system.

In 1971, he pitched in 28 games with the major league Braves, including 20 starts, posting a 9-5 record with a fine 2.96 ERA. He was with the team the entire season, witnessing legendary teammate Hank Aaron’s 600th career home run in late April.

He spent the entire 1972 campaign with the Braves, but was farmed out to Triple-A early in the 1973 season. He spent four years in Triple-A with the Braves and New York Mets organizations before retiring in 1976.

His major league record was 20-22 with a 3.75 ERA in 104 games, including 45 starts.

After leaving baseball, Kelley worked for United Parcel Service for 15 years, retiring as a center manager. He and his wife Diane then retired to Myrtle Beach, where he indulged his passion for golf.

He was inducted into the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

A private service will be held at his family’s convenience.