Wee Willie Keeler (1872-1923)

Today marks the passing of one of the greatest right fielders to ever play the game of baseball, William Henry “Wee Willie” Keeler. Born in Brooklyn, he played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) in the American League. Keeler was a remarkable hitter, whose advice to hitters was, “Keep your eye clear, and hit ’em where they ain’t” — “they” being the opposing fielders. His .385 career batting average after the 1898 season is the highest average in history at season’s end for a player with more than 1,000 hits (1,147 hits). Keeler was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He is among the shortest players ever elected to the Hall, and the shortest to appear on The Sporting News‘ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, where he ranked number 75. In 1999, he was named as a finalist to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Having played his last game in 1910, he was the most chronologically distant player on both Top 100 lists. Keeler had the amazing ability to bunt practically any ball sent his way. He was the impetus for the rule change that made a third-strike foul bunt into a strike out. Willie Keeler is interred in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.
(From Wikipedia)