Mike O'Neill (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike O'Neill |
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O'Neill pictured in The Campanile 1925 (Rice University yearbook)
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| Pitcher/Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 5, 1877 Maum, County Galway, Ireland |
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| Died: August 12, 1959 (aged 81) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 20, 1901, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 6, 1907, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 32–44 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.73 | ||
| Strikeouts | 228 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Michael Joyce O'Neill (born October 5, 1877 – died August 12, 1959) was a talented baseball player. He was a starting pitcher and also played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball.
O'Neill played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1901 to 1904. Later, he joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1907. He batted and threw with his right hand. Michael was born in Maam, Ireland. When he first started playing for the Cardinals in 1901, he used the name Michael Joyce.
Contents
Early Life and Birthplace
Michael O'Neill was born in a small village called Maum. This village is located in County Galway, Ireland. His father, also named Michael O'Neill, owned land. His mother's name was Mary Joyce.
Baseball Career Highlights
O'Neill was a pitcher who was also good at hitting the ball. Sometimes, he even played in the left field position.
Starting Strong in 1901
In 1901, his first year, he had a good start. He won 2 games and lost 2 games as a pitcher. His earned run average (ERA) was very low at 1.32. This means he didn't let many opposing players score runs. He even pitched a shutout, which means the other team scored zero runs. At the plate, he was excellent, hitting .400. This means he got a hit in 4 out of every 10 times he tried.
Best Season in 1902
His best year was 1902. He won 18 games and lost 12 as a pitcher. He also had two more shutouts. His ERA was 2.75, which was still very good.
On June 3, 1902, O'Neill made baseball history. He was called in as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. This means he batted instead of another player. The bases were full of runners, which is called bases loaded. O'Neill hit a grand slam! This was the first time a pinch hitter hit a grand slam in Major League Baseball. It was also an inside-the-park home run, meaning he ran around all the bases before the ball was returned. He was the first pitcher in the National League to hit a grand slam in the 20th century.
Later Years and Retirement
In 1903, O'Neill's pitching record was 4 wins and 13 losses. This was partly because his team didn't score many runs to help him win. In 1904, he had a record of 10 wins and 14 losses with a good ERA of 2.09. After that season, he did not return to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1907, he played for the Cincinnati Reds. He mostly played as a reserve left fielder or a pinch-hitter. He stopped playing baseball at the end of that season.
Overall Baseball Statistics
During his four years as a pitcher, O'Neill won 32 games and lost 44. He had 228 strikeouts. His overall ERA was 2.73 over 694.1 innings. He finished 68 games he started, which is called a complete game.
In his five seasons playing baseball, he was a .255 hitter. He hit two home runs and had 41 RBI. He played in 137 games, with 85 of those as a pitcher.
Michael O'Neill passed away in Scranton, Pennsylvania, when he was 81 years old.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Mike O'Neill also worked as a baseball coach. He coached the Rice Owls team in 1924. This team played in the Southwest Conference.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
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| Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1924) | |||||||||
| 1924 | Rice | 4–12 | 3-11 | ||||||
| Rice: | 4–12 (.250) | 3–11 (.214) | |||||||
| Total: | 4–12 (.250) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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The O'Neill Baseball Family
Michael O'Neill was part of a very special baseball family. He had three brothers who also played in the major leagues!
- Jack (1873–1975) was a catcher. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Braves. Jack even caught Mike's very first game as a starting pitcher for St. Louis on April 4, 1902.
- Steve (1891–1962) was also a catcher. He played for many teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Browns. After he stopped playing, Steve became a manager for several major league teams.
- Jim (1893–1976) played as a shortstop for the Washington Senators.
See also
- List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball
