Robert Francis Keefe, known as Bobby Keefe in baseball, was born near Folsom, California in June 1882. He graduated from Santa Clara College in 1902, where he was the star baseball pitcher. He then pitched for the Sacramento Solons in 1903, the first year of the Pacific Coast League. The following year, the Solon franchise moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he had two outstanding years with the Tacoma Tigers before going to the New York Highlanders (later Yankees). After a period with the Yankees, he was released to the Montreal farm club of the Yankees. He later pitched for the Cincinnati Reds. While there, he met Margaret Carroll, who later became his wife.