Leo Kiely – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Leo Kiely’s baseball career really shows how talent, grit, and a few unexpected twists can shape a professional athlete’s journey. This lefty from Hoboken, New Jersey, made his mark in Major League Baseball in the 1950s, pitching for both the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Athletics before he called it quits in 1960.

Kiely was the first former major league player to compete in Japanese professional baseball, pitching for the Mainichi Orions in 1953 while serving in the Army during the Korean War. At that time, American ballplayers almost never went overseas, so his short but successful run in Japan really broke new ground in international baseball.

Kiely faced plenty of challenges that might’ve stopped other players in their tracks. He survived a childhood truck accident that left him with a permanent limp, and military service took away some of his best years, but he always found a way to adapt and help his teams.

His journey from playing in the CYO League—he never played high school ball—to becoming a solid major league reliever says a lot about what it takes to make it at baseball’s top level.

Early Life and Background

Leo Patrick Kiely was born on November 30, 1929, in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Leo P. and Marie Kiely. His early years were full of family tradition and tough moments that shaped who he became.

Childhood in Hoboken

Leo grew up in a working-class Irish American family. His dad was a captain in the Hoboken Fire Department, and his granddad worked as a police inspector.

The family believed in public service and working hard. Leo was the second of four kids, with older sister Eileen leading the way, and two younger brothers, Daniel and Robert, following after him.

When Leo was just 5, a truck ran him over, breaking both kneecaps and fracturing his pelvic bone. Doctors weren’t sure he’d ever walk again.

He did recover, but the accident left him with a limp and his left leg was half an inch shorter than his right. He wore a built-up shoe for the rest of his life.

Education and Early Baseball Experiences

Leo went to Hoboken High School but never played for the school baseball team. Instead, he found his way into the game through the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) League.

Father Francis X. Coyle of Our Lady of Grace Church became Leo’s mentor and baseball coach. Under Father Coyle, Leo learned to pitch and discovered his natural talent for the game.

Father Coyle gave him the nickname “Blackie,” the first of several nicknames Leo picked up over the years. Later, people called him KiKi, Le-Ki, and Black Cat.

In 1948, Boston Red Sox scout Bill McCarren signed Leo to his first pro contract. The Brooklyn Dodgers wanted him too, but Leo thought Boston offered a better shot at moving up.

Path to Professional Baseball

Leo Kiely started his journey to the majors in Hoboken, where he overcame physical setbacks and worked hard to develop his pitching. He stood out in amateur leagues and moved up quickly through the minors.

Amateur and Minor League Achievements

Leo didn’t play high school baseball at Hoboken High. Instead, he pitched in the CYO League under Father Francis X. Coyle at Our Lady of Grace Church.

Father Coyle spotted Leo’s talent and helped him grow as a left-handed pitcher. He even gave him his first nickname, “Blackie,” which stuck for a while.

Leo’s success in the CYO League got the attention of pro scouts. He showed enough promise there to get his shot at professional baseball.

That childhood accident at age 5 still affected him—he had a limp and needed a special shoe—but it didn’t stop him from chasing his baseball dreams.

Signing with the Boston Red Sox

In 1948, Red Sox scout Bill McCarren signed Leo to his first pro contract. The Dodgers were interested too, but Leo chose Boston, thinking he’d have more room to grow.

Left-handed pitchers were always in demand at Fenway Park, and Kiely fit the bill. He started out with the Wellsville Nitros in the Class D PONY League in 1948.

That first season, he went 12-9 with a team-best 3.40 ERA. The next year, he moved up to the Scranton Red Sox in the Class A Eastern League.

An illness slowed him down in 1949, and he finished 3-5, but the Red Sox still believed in him.

Major League Career Overview

Leo Kiely played in the majors for seven seasons from 1951 to 1960, with a break for military service during the Korean War. He put together a 26-27 record and a 3.37 ERA in 523 innings, shifting from starter to effective relief pitcher for both the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Athletics.

Debut and Early MLB Seasons

Kiely made his big league debut on June 27, 1951, with the Red Sox in a pretty odd way. He came in as a pinch-runner after Ray Scarborough got hit in the head by a wild pickoff throw.

His first time pitching was July 2 against the Washington Senators. Kiely kept his cool, scattering 10 hits with no walks in a complete-game 5-2 win.

The Hartford Courant called it “veteran’s poise.” Manager Steve O’Neill said Kiely showed “cool poise under fire.”

He faced tough teams like the White Sox and Indians and even beat the first-place Yankees 4-2 on September 5.

That year, Kiely finished 7-7 with a 3.34 ERA. He helped keep Boston in the race until late September, but the Red Sox fell to third by the end.

Military Service Interruption

After his rookie season, the Korean War put Kiely’s career on hold. His draft board classified him 3-C, so he was eligible for noncombat service despite his leg injury.

The Army inducted him and sent him to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. While overseas, he pitched in lots of exhibition games, saying he won “either 16 or 17 games and only lost one.”

In 1953, Kiely became one of the first major leaguers to play pro ball in Japan. He pitched six games for the Mainichi Orions, winning all six with a 1.80 ERA.

He made 100,000 yen a month, just 10,000 less than the Japanese prime minister. Frank Sullivan, a teammate, remembered meeting Kiely in Japan and joked about the “rice beer” causing some weight gain.

Kiely spent two years in the Army, missing the 1952 and 1953 MLB seasons.

Return to the Red Sox

Kiely came back to Boston in 1954 under new manager Mike Higgins, who’d managed him in the minors. The Sporting News called him “the left-handed pitcher who was beginning to look like a solid 20-game winner when the Army grabbed him.”

Things didn’t go smoothly at first. By mid-June, he was 1-5.

He threw his only career shutout on July 4, shutting out Philadelphia 8-0. Five days later, he hit his only home run off Alex Kellner.

Kiely finished 1954 at 5-8, but he was excellent in relief—posting a 0.97 ERA in nine outings. That convinced Higgins to consider him as Ellis Kinder’s replacement in the bullpen.

By 1955, Kiely mostly worked out of the bullpen. He made his last career start in July against the White Sox.

The move to the pen paid off, and he became a valuable contributor to the Red Sox staff.

Final Season with Kansas City Athletics

Kiely played his last MLB season in 1960 with the Kansas City Athletics. His final game came on June 20, 1960, when he was 30.

The move to Kansas City was a fresh start, but by then, Kiely was established as a reliable relief pitcher rather than a starter.

He wrapped up his career with a 26-27 record and a 3.37 ERA in 523 innings, along with 212 strikeouts. His win-loss record wasn’t flashy, but his ERA showed he got the job done.

Leaving Boston for Kansas City marked the end of his long run with the Red Sox organization.

Performance Highlights and Statistics

Leo Kiely finished his career with a solid 3.37 ERA over seven seasons, picking up 26 wins and 27 losses. His best stretch came in the mid-1950s when he switched from starting to relief pitching for Boston.

Pitching Achievements

Kiely’s top season was 1958, when he went 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA. He pitched in 47 games—all in relief—and racked up 12 saves, finishing 35 games.

In his rookie year, 1951, he showed he could start, going 7-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 17 games (16 starts). He completed four games and tossed 113.1 innings.

By 1955, he’d made the switch to the bullpen. Kiely notched six saves in 33 games with a 2.80 ERA, mixing in four starts with 29 relief outings.

His military service in 1952-1953 interrupted things, and that probably slowed his development during those key years.

Notable Performances and Records

Kiely’s best ERA came in his last season, 1960, with Kansas City. He posted a 1.74 ERA in 20 games, though he only pitched 20.2 innings.

In 1954, he threw 131 innings over 28 games, showing he could handle a heavy workload. That year, he kept a 3.50 ERA and tossed one shutout.

He ended up with 29 career saves, with a peak of 12 in 1958. He finished 99 games in his career, proving he was a dependable closer.

Kiely struck out 212 hitters in 523 innings. His strikeout rate stayed steady, averaging 3.6 per nine innings.

Career Statistics Breakdown

His numbers show he was a steady, middle-of-the-pack pitcher. A 3.37 ERA was above average for his era, and his 1.436 WHIP showed decent control.

Career Totals:

• Games: 209
• Wins: 26
• Losses: 27
• ERA: 3.37
• Strikeouts: 212
• Saves: 29

He spent six seasons with Boston (1951, 1954-56, 1958-59) before finishing up with Kansas City in 1960. With Boston, he put up a 3.44 ERA in 189 games.

Kiely’s career WAR (Wins Above Replacement) was 7.7. His best single-season WAR came in 1951 (2.4) and 1955 (2.3).

He allowed 562 hits in 523 innings. He walked 189 and struck out 212, giving him a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.12.

Later Life and Retirement

After he left pro baseball in 1960, Leo Kiely moved back to New Jersey and took on different jobs. He kept his love for the game alive by telling stories and staying active in his community.

Activities After Baseball

Kiely and his wife Marilyn, along with their son Leo, settled in Arlington, New Jersey after he left professional baseball. He had to find steady work to support his family outside of the sport.

He took on a bunch of different jobs over the years. At first, he worked as a mechanic at a gas station and got pretty good with cars.

Later, he switched things up and started selling cars as a dealer. That job let him meet a ton of different people.

Eventually, he landed a position with the Finkle Trucking Company in Clifton, New Jersey. That role gave him some much-needed job security during his later years.

Even as he jumped from one job to another, Kiely never lost his love for baseball. He’d light up whenever he could share stories from his playing days.

Those years in the major leagues gave him more than enough stories to keep people entertained. He especially loved talking about his time with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Athletics.

Recognition and Legacy

Kiely’s biggest baseball achievement actually happened during his minor league days. He racked up 20 wins in relief in a single season for the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League.

That season really showed off his pitching skills, maybe even more than his major league record of 26 wins and 27 losses over 210 games ever did.

He also made his mark as one of the first major league players to play in Japanese professional baseball. In 1953, while still in the Army, he pitched for the Mainichi Orions.

He went out there six times for the Japanese team and won every game, finishing with a 1.80 ERA. Not many Americans knew much about Japanese baseball back then, so that was pretty special.

Kiely passed away on January 18, 1984, in Montclair, New Jersey. They buried him at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.

Personal Life and Legacy

After baseball, Leo Kiely built a good family life and kept close ties to the sport that shaped his early years. His influence stretched past his playing statistics—he got involved with his community and mentored others.

Family and Personal Interests

Kiely married Marilyn Dunne on March 18, 1954, in Sarasota, Florida, during Red Sox spring training. He actually met Marilyn through his older sister Eileen while serving in the Army during the Korean War.

They had a son named Leo. When he retired from baseball, Kiely moved the family to Arlington, New Jersey, and that became their home for good.

After baseball, he worked as a gas station mechanic and then tried his hand as a car dealer. He finished his career at the Finkle Trucking Company in Clifton, New Jersey.

Even after leaving the sport, Kiely never lost his passion for baseball. He loved sharing his big league stories with anyone who’d listen. Those Major League Baseball memories stayed at the heart of who he was.

Impact on Baseball Community

Kiely’s baseball legacy goes way beyond just his stats. He loved sharing stories and insights from his days with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Athletics, and he’d tell them to just about anyone who’d listen.

He pulled off something pretty rare—winning 20 games in relief during a minor league season with the San Francisco Seals. That kind of record really shows off how flexible he was, handling both starting and relief roles.

Kiely made history as one of the first Major League Baseball players to play in Japanese professional baseball. In 1953, while he served in the Army, he pitched for the Mainichi Orions and went 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA.

The Korean War era changed a lot for him, and for other players too. His story kind of shows the tough choices and sacrifices athletes made during military service, but it also opened doors for cultural exchange through baseball.