“Keep your eye clear, and hit ’em where they ain’t.”
The quote is attributed to Hall of Fame outfielder “Wee” Willie Keeler, who was born this day in 1872, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939. Keeler got the nickname because he stood at just 5’4″, and was one of the smallest players in baseball history.
But the dude could hit, batting .341/.388/.415 for his career, and once striking out twice – TWICE! – an entire 141-game season. Sure, it was a different era in those days, but still. The guy struck out 139 times in his 2123-game career. Thirty MLB hitters struck out more times last season alone.
Here’s a look at the birthday boy, who would have been 144 (via Baseball Hall of Fame):