Paul O'Dea facts for kids

Paul O'Dea (July 3, 1920 – December 11, 1978) was an American professional baseball player. He also worked as a manager and a scout. He played in Major League Baseball during World War II for the Cleveland Indians in 1944 and 1945. Paul threw and batted left-handed. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 200 pounds.

Paul O'Dea's Baseball Journey

Paul O'Dea was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Case Western Reserve University. He started his professional baseball career in 1938. His first team was the Fargo-Moorhead Twins. He played 62 games for them and had a great batting average of .362.

An Unexpected Injury

The next year, Paul played for the Springfield Indians. He hit .342 in 122 games. Because he was such a good hitter, the Cleveland Indians invited him to spring training in 1940. During this time, something unexpected happened. A foul ball hit him in his right eye. This accident caused him to lose sight in that eye.

Even with this injury, Paul stayed with the Indians organization. He kept playing baseball for the next four years. He made his Major League debut on April 19, 1944.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Paul O'Dea played two full seasons with the Cleveland Indians. He was on the team in 1944 and 1945. Because of his eye injury, he did not have to join the military during World War II.

He mostly played as an outfielder. But he also played first base and even pitched a few times. In his 163 Major League games, Paul's career batting average was .272. He pitched in four games, but he did not get a win or a loss. His earned run average was 5.68 in 6 and one-third innings.

In 1944, Paul had a .318 batting average in 76 games. He hit his only Major League home run on May 19, 1945. It was against Don Black of the Philadelphia Athletics. Cleveland won that game 2–1. After the 1945 season, Paul was sent back to the minor leagues. This was the end of his Major League career.

After the Big Leagues

Paul O'Dea continued to play in the minor leagues for five more seasons. He played from 1946 to 1948, and again from 1950 to 1951.

After he stopped playing, Paul became a manager. He managed different minor league teams for the Indians from 1947 to 1960. Later, he became a scout for the Indians. A scout finds new talented players. Paul worked as a scout for the rest of his life. He passed away at the age of 58.