Michael Joseph "King" Kelly was a colorful player and audacious base-runner. In 1886 he hit .388, and the next year he stole 84 bases. He was a two-time batting champion and a Hall of Famer. His sale for $10,000 was one of the biggest deals of baseball's early history. Kelly has eleven (11) different poses in the N172 set. This is one of the more popular, depicting the Chicago star holding standing at the plate, holding a bat at the ready as if he were going to be batting left-handed, though he batted right-handed during his playing career.

This card has received a grade of Authentic, with an alteration we cannot easily detect due to the card being in the holder. Regardless of any alteration, the card still has tremendous eye appeal. The contrast of the image is fantastic, making the darkness of Kelly's famous mustache truly stand out. His beautiful uniform, the painted ring around his bat, and his shiny dark shoes draw your eye, as well. Rounded corners and some edge chipping particularly on the right side are present.