[cinemaodyssey]

I believe this player is another victim of mistaken identity on Baseball Reference. It appears his career has been merged with Kick Kelly and maybe another minor league John Kelly. I have attached a woodcut that depicts the real John Kelly from the 7/20/1884 edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer showing him as the catcher for the Cincinnati Unions. This image differs greatly from the Baseball Reference photo, which shows John Kelly the manager of the 1888 Louisville Colonels (also attached). Lastly, I have attached an image of Kick Kelly during his playing years with the 1879 Syracuse team.