2019 MSU Sports Hall of Fame Inductee: Mike Kelley
They say in life that when one door closes, another door opens. For Mississippi State baseball alum Mike Kelley, that was true on multiple occasions before his college baseball career even got started.
As a high schooler, Kelley's coach at West Maine High School encouraged him to write a letter to Ron Polk, then the head coach at Georgia Southern, expressing his interest in being a part of Polk's program. Eventually, he received a note back from Polk, who communicated that his roster was already built for the season, but he could help him find a junior college to play at if Kelley was interested.
Later that summer, Kelley was invited to a scouting tryout by Major League Baseball icon Harry "The Hat" Walker. After making it through the tryout, Kelley was offered a minor league contract by the St. Louis Cardinals, but admittedly wasn't ready to embark on the minor league baseball circuit. One thing he knew, however, was he wanted to continue his baseball career.
"Back in 1975 there were only a handful of programs around the country that were known for big time college baseball," Kelley said. "Those programs were where all of the studs went, and I wasn't a stud...but I wanted to go somewhere south and try to make it [as a baseball player]."
Following his scouting tryout, Kelley was contacted by then-Mississippi State head coach Jimmy Bragan and offered a walk-on spot with the Bulldogs.
So, the Des Plains, Illinois, native headed to Starkville and still remembers the first time he saw Dudy Noble Field.
"They were just building Humphrey Coliseum. I remember walking down [from the athletic dorms], coming over the hill to the back of the coliseum and seeing that baseball field for the first time…that old field was beautiful to me," said Kelley. "[I remember thinking to myself,] 'I am going to do this.'"
After going through fall workouts, Kelley earned a spot on the roster for the spring before heading home for Christmas break. During break news broke that Bragan would join the Milwaukee Brewers staff, which left State searching for a head coach just two months before the 1976 season was to start.
Ironically, Kelley would get his chance to play for Polk, who was hired soon after Bragan's departure. That series of events broke the hinges off of a door that was closed in Kelley's mind.
"My whole career trajectory probably changed because of [the coaching change]," said Kelley. "I had a whole season to figure things out and listen to what Coach Polk wanted me to do. It couldn't have worked out better."
From walk-on to starting lineup, the 5-foot-8, 155-pound left-handed hitter played in all 45 games during his freshman season and led the team in batting average and RBIs. Kelley hit over .300 in each of his four seasons, including a .400 average during his senior campaign. Forty years removed, Kelley's MSU career records for stolen bases (79) and outfield assists (21) still stand, while his .357 career batting average is now tied for 10th on the career charts.
As a senior in 1979, Kelley helped guide the Bulldogs to the SEC regular season and tournament championships as well as the program's second-ever College World Series appearance. The 1979 squad finished with a then-school record 48 victories and a 17-2 mark in SEC play. In the process, Kelley was tabbed an American Baseball Coaches Association All-American.
Kelley was a two-time first-team All-SEC honoree (1977, '79), a two-time ABCA All-Region selection (1977, '79) and a two-time NCAA Regional All-Tournament team member (1978, '79). He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 32nd round following his stellar senior campaign.
After all of the twists and turns for Kelley, the final door opens on his collegiate baseball career when he enters the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame this weekend. When he looks back, there is a sense of pride at what he and his teammates were able to accomplish.
"Obviously it's a great honor and it means a lot," said Kelley. "It probably means more because of the fact that it has been 40 years and [the selection] is based on what I did while I was at Mississippi State. It's based on the stats and baseball is pretty stats oriented…To me, the thing that I am proudest of is that I played a role in getting the program to a spot where guys like [Will] Clark and [Rafael] Palmeiro wanted to come to Mississippi State.
"I feel like I was on the ground floor of building something that has turned into something pretty special. When you look at the new ballpark and what the program has turned into, it's really cool to think that I was a part of laying that foundation."
While many things have changed - both on campus and in the Starkville community - Kelley says that his memories in Starkville are something that he would never give back.
"I wouldn't have traded it for the world. It was a very unique environment and gave me the opportunity to go a lot of places and see a lot of different things. Ron made sure that the things we did had an application beyond baseball…I worked hard for what I was able to accomplish [at Mississippi State], and it got me to where I am today."
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This week HailState.com will recognize members of the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The class will be formally inducted at a gala Friday, Sept. 20 and recognized during the MSU-Kentucky football game in Davis Wade Stadium.