Posts by David Kelly

With Black History Month here and baseball season just around the corner, I wanted to share two exciting books that celebrate legendary Black baseball players while delivering a fun mystery for young readers.

My latest Ballpark Mysteries books are perfect for Black History Month, featuring all-time greats Satchel Paige and Willie Mays—along with fascinating nonfiction about Black baseball players, the Negro Leagues, and baseball history.

Satchel’s Stolen Strike is set at Rickwood Field—America’s oldest professional ballpark and the site of MLB’s 2025 tribute to the Negro Leagues—this mystery follows Mike and Kate as they hunt for a stolen Satchel Paige baseball.

Willie’s Clutch Catch takes place the next day, at the same historic ballpark, their friend Buck—who bears a striking resemblance to Willie Mays—is wrongly accused of sabotaging the big game. It’s up to Mike, Kate, and Andy to clear his name!

Both books blend history, mystery, and baseball, making them great additions for Black History Month displays, young readers, and sports fans alike.

A Bit of Negro Leagues History
Early in baseball’s history, some professional baseball teams allowed Black players on their teams. By the late 1800s, white team owners started to prohibit Black ballplayers from joining white professional teams because of racial discrimination.

As a result, Black players formed their own teams and “barnstormed” around the country. That meant that even though they did not have a league to call their own, these Black teams traveled the country and played against teams that were willing to take them on.

In 1920, the Negro National League was formed in Kansas City. Other Negro Leagues followed over time, including the Negro Southern League, the Negro American League, the East-West League, the American Negro League, and the Eastern Colored League.

Not long after Jackie Robinson became the first Black player to play for a modern major-league team in April 1947, the Negro Leagues started to decline. Gradually, some of the best Black players joined major-league teams instead of staying in the Negro Leagues. Unfortunately, some players, such as Josh Gibson and James “Cool Papa” Bell, were too old to make the transition.

During the 1950s, as baseball became more integrated, the Negro Leagues lost talent and fans. Eventually, they went out of business. Some teams continued as “barnstorming” teams playing exhibition games wherever they could. The last Negro Leagues All-Star Game was held in 1962. And the last barnstorming Negro Leagues team, the Indianapolis Clowns, played into the 1980s.

Negro Leagues in the Hall of Fame
In 2020, the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, announced that seven Negro Leagues were officially declared major leagues. That means that 48 records and statistics from Negro Leagues games between 1920 and 1948 are now part of the history of Major League Baseball.

Check out this Negro Leagues Electees page from the National Baseball Hall of Fame highlighting Hall of Fame players who spent part or all of their time in the Negro Leagues.

To kick off 2025, I’m sharing a sample chapter from my newest book, Football Mysteries #2: The Big Bling Blitz (see what I did there? Kick off?). Just click here or on the opening page below to download your free chapter.

While The Big Bling Blitz is great for New England Patriots fans, it’s ideal for any football fan who dreams of finding a Super Bowl ring (or six of them!) since that’s what Mike and Kate have to do after the Patriots’ start quarterback’s six Super Bowl rings are stolen!

That’s right, Football Mysteries #2: The Big Bling Blitz is now available. It’s a New England Patriots mystery full of New England references, from cranberry bogs to six Super Bowl rings! (And if you haven’t already, start the series by reading Football Mysteries #1: The Two-Minute Warning)

Score big with another action-packed Football Mystery from David A. Kelly, starring Mike and Kate! This time, they’re in Boston to tackle an exciting New England Patriots case!

When Mike and Kate meet the Patriots’ star quarterback in a cranberry bog near the stadium, they have no idea they’re about to be pulled into a high-stakes mystery. They’re invited to the grand unveiling of his six Super Bowl rings—but disaster strikes when the display box is mysteriously empty! Suspicion quickly points to a rival quarterback, but is he the real culprit?

It’s a race against time as Mike and Kate scramble to track down the missing rings before the Patriots’ big game. Can they crack the case and save the day?

Plus, every Football Mystery is packed with incredible facts about the team and its iconic stadium—perfect for young fans and budding detectives alike!

That’s right, Ballpark Mysteries #21: Willie’s Clutch Catch is a Willie Mays mystery that takes place at America’s oldest professional ballpark, Rickwood Field, in Birmingham, Alabama!

Willie first played professional baseball at Rickwood Field, so it was a great setting for a Willie Mays Ballpark Mysteries book. In a follow on adventure to Ballpark Mysteries #20: Satchel’s Stolen Strike, Kate and Mike are excited to visit America’s oldest professional ballpark, the former home of baseball legend Willie Mays. But things take a wrong turn when their new friend Buck, who looks just like the famous slugger, is accused of plotting to sabotage the big game. With Buck banned from the ballpark and strange, stinky mishaps putting the game in jeopardy, it’s up to Kate, Mike, and their friend Andy to uncover the real culprit and save the day—while clearing Buck’s name!

Read a sample chapter of Ballpark Mysteries #21: Willie’s Clutch Catch!

Do you like being first? Be among the first to get a glimpse of America’s oldest ballpark, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, with me.

Major League Baseball is having a big game there this Thursday, June 20th, as a tribute to the Negro Leagues (the Birmingham Black Barons, with Willie Mays, played there for many years.)

It’ll be a big baseball event, and you can get a behind-the-scenes tour first with me, on Tuesday, June 18th.

That’s right, join me on Facebook Live @davidakellybooks on Tuesday, June 18th, at 7pm Eastern for a quick reading from Satchel’s Stolen Strike and go on a behind-the-scenes Rickwood Field research tour that I took to write the book!

You’ll learn about the “secret” outfield wall and just how many future Hall of Famers have spit on Rickwood’s hallowed infield dirt!

By the time MLB’s big game comes around on Thursday, June 20th, you’ll be a Rickwood Field pro!

PS – If you haven’t purchased Satchel’s Stolen Strike yet, please consider buying a copy on Amazon today. If you have, please give it a five-star rating on Amazon-review Satchel’s Stolen Strike.

Satchel’s Stolen Strike is now available for purchase on Amazon! Satchel’s Stolen Strike is different from my other Ballpark Mysteries books. Instead of taking place at a Major League stadium, it takes place in a minor-league ballpark in Birmingham, Alabama!

A Ballpark Mysteries Book Set in Birmingham?
Yes! Satchel’s Stolen Strike is a unique Ballpark Mysteries book since it doesn’t take place at a Major League stadium. Instead, it occurs during a Major League event at minor-league ballpark. This June, Major League Baseball is hosting MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues with a special baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals.

My new book, Satchel’s Stolen Strike, takes place at this upcoming event, with Mike and Kate heading to Birmingham for the Negro Leagues MLB event. The event and a big MLB game take place at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark. After an important Satchel Paige baseball gets stolen, the MLB celebration may be cut short unless Kate and Mike can find the thief and locate the priceless baseball.

Satchel’s Stolen Strike also includes additional information about the Negro Leagues and famous Negro Leagues players like Willie Mays and Satchel Paige, as well as Rickwood Field.

Keep reading! More Ballpark Mysteries are on the way….

Holidays and birthdays are great times to connect young readers with new books or their favorite authors. That’s why author David A. Kelly is now offering a range of special holiday gifts for readers.

• Signed books. Purchase personalized and signed books by David A. Kelly.
  
• New audio books. Great for holiday car rides! Purchase the new audio books for The Two-Minute Warning, The Black Cat Change-Up, and Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse (a non-fiction chapter book). And for football fans, The Football Fumble is now available!
  
• Personal video “shout out.” David A. Kelly will record a short video “shout out” to fans or readers for a holiday gift, birthday gift, or any other occasion. $25
  
• Personal virtual visit/writing workshop. Meet virtually (via Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) one-on-one with Ballpark Mysteries author David A. Kelly. Visits are up to 30 minutes long. David A. Kelly can discuss how he writes the Ballpark Mysteries books, answer questions, or talk about writing and publishing. He’s also happy to provide guidance, feedback, or mystery writing tips for young writers. $50
  
  • Add a video shout out. Personal virtual visit above with personal shout out included. $75 in total
    
  • Add a video shout out, signed book, and downloadable poster. Personal virtual visit above with personal shout out included, along with your choice of personally-signed Ballpark Mysteries book and a downloadable Mike and Kate Ballpark Mysteries poster. $100 in total
    
• Gift school visit. Purchase a prepaid virtual school author visit with David A. Kelly for your favorite teacher or school! Visit date and time can be coordinated afterwards at mutually convenient times and dates. $100 holiday rate
  
• Name a character. Ever wanted to be in a book? You can! Contact David A. Kelly for information on how you might become a character in one of his upcoming Ballpark Mysteries. Football Mysteries, or Mike and Kate Mysteries books! Priceless (but starts at $250, depending on the character)
  
• David A. Kelly Insiders Club. Want to go behind the scenes of the Ballpark Mysteries? Contact David A. Kelly for information on his upcoming Insiders Club. Includes a monthly short newsletter, quarterly virtual Q&A sessions where subscribers interact with David A. Kelly, and occasional work-in-progress chapters (that will probably change!). Subscribers also get pre-release copies of new books (at least one per year) before books are available to the general public.