The name Kelso might be synonymous with pizza for many Northland residents, but the name is much more than letters that form a name above the entrance to a local restaurant.

It is a legacy left behind.

Bill Kelso, who started the original Kelso’s restaurant chain along with making a name for himself as a professional baseball player and scout, died Monday, May 11, at his home. He was 69 years old.

He died in his favorite chair while watching sports, said Jeff Kelso, Bill’s son.

Jeff Kelso said his father spent a career of nearly 40 years in the baseball world first as a player then as a coach and scout.

Kelso began his baseball career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962. He was then traded to the California Angels where he spent three seasons from 1964 to 1967. He played his final game with the Cincinnati Reds in 1968.

After completion of his playing career in the 1960s, he coached and was a professional scout for 30 years.

Kelso decided to return to Kansas City, where he grew up, at the end of his run as a big league pitcher and to give the restaurant business a shot, Jeff said.

He started the Kelso’s chain with the original location on the Liberty square in 1969. It grew into a chain of about 15 restaurants scattered across the state, Jeff said.

Now, Jeff and his sister, Kelly, own and operate the only remaining Kelso’s restaurant. The North Kansas City restaurant has been in the city’s downtown district at 300 Armour Road for seven years.

The brother and sister team joined the family business by opening the restaurant after Jeff retired from big league baseball, much like his father.

The Kelsos plan to keep their father’s legacy alive by modifying the restaurant to be more like the original in the way it looks, Jeff Kelso said. They are in the process of turning the business into what he called a "baseball shrine."

The restaurant will feature memorabilia of the Kelsos and of the friends they made while playing ball. It will be closer to resembling the original restaurant, Jeff Kelso said.

A visitation and funeral services for Kelso were Friday, May 15, at Vineyard Church, 12300 N.W. Arrowhead Trafficway.

Staff writer Meagan O’Donnell can be reached at 389-6606 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .