Billy O'Brien
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1890)
Billy O'Brien was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890 for 4 teams, including the St. Paul White Caps, a span of 7 seasons. In 356 career games, he hit .256 with 364 hits, 32 home runs, and 206 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 656.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/26/1911 in Kansas City, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-09-27
- Last Game
- 1890-08-12
Full name: William Smith O'Brien
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 356 | 1,424 | 164 | 364 | 59 | 22 | 32 | 206 | 26 | 59 | 88 | .256 | .289 | .395 | .684 | 656 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .289 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career SLG .395 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — +14.6% above league average.
Career OPS .684 vs. league average .659 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | SPU | UA | 8 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .233 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1884 | KCU | UA | 4 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .235 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | WS8 | NL | 113 | 453 | 71 | 126 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 73 | 11 | 21 | 17 | .278 | .270 (+3%) | .331 (-4%) | .373 (+32%) | .705 (+15%) | 1056.0 |
| 1888 | WS8 | NL | 133 | 528 | 42 | 119 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 66 | 10 | 9 | 70 | .225 | .238 (-6%) | .290 (-18%) | .319 (-2%) | .610 (-10%) | -842.2 |
| 1889 | WS8 | NL | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1890 | BR4 | AA | 96 | 388 | 47 | 108 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 67 | 5 | 28 | 0 | .278 | .260 (+7%) | .336 (-1%) | .351 (+18%) | .687 (+9%) | 442.5 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 356 | 1,424 | 164 | 364 | 59 | 22 | 32 | 206 | 26 | 59 | 88 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 656 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | SPU | UA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1.80 | 3.11 (+42%) | 83.8 |
| Career · 1 season | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1.80 | — | 84 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 335 | 0 | 3482 | 100 | 94 | 174 |
| 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 16 | 0 | 17 | 29 | 10 | 0 |
| OF | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | SPU | 3B | 8 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| 1884 | SPU | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1884 | KCU | 1B | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | KCU | 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1887 | WS8 | 1B | 104 | 0 | 1159 | 26 | 32 | 53 |
| 1887 | WS8 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | WS8 | 3B | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1887 | WS8 | OF | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | WS8 | 1B | 132 | 0 | 1272 | 38 | 33 | 55 |
| 1888 | WS8 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | WS8 | 1B | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | BR4 | 1B | 96 | 0 | 1015 | 35 | 29 | 66 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| First Base | 335 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 16 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy O'Brien (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy O'Brien: the record in brief
Billy O'Brien played a first major league game on September 27, 1884 and a last one on August 12, 1890. The season rows list, in order, the St. Paul White Caps (1884), the Kansas City Cowboys (1884), the Washington Nationals (1887 through 1889), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890). At 6'0" and 185 pounds, O'Brien is listed as a first baseman. The bio says O'Brien both batted and threw right-handed. O'Brien was born on March 14, 1860, in Albany, NY, USA. O'Brien died on May 26, 1911, in Kansas City, MO, USA. O'Brien's full given name, per the bio, is William Smith O'Brien.
In 356 games and 1,424 at bats, O'Brien batted .256 with 364 hits, along with 32 homers, 206 runs batted in, and 26 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .289 clip and slugging .395, O'Brien finished with a .684 OPS. Against a .255 league average for those years, O'Brien's .256 average was near the norm. The home run peak was 19 in 1887 with the Washington Nationals.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy O'Brien
- What years did Billy O'Brien play?
- Billy O'Brien played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890.
- Was Billy O'Brien a pitcher?
- No. Billy O'Brien was a position player (First Baseman), though he did pitch in 2 career games.
- How many home runs did Billy O'Brien hit?
- Billy O'Brien hit 32 career home runs with 364 hits.
- What teams did Billy O'Brien play for?
- Billy O'Brien played for 4 teams: the St. Paul White Caps (1884), the Kansas City Cowboys (1884), the Washington Nationals (1887–1889), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890).
- What were Billy O'Brien's career stats?
- In 356 games, Billy O'Brien had 364 hits, 32 home runs, 206 RBI, 164 runs, and 26 stolen bases, with a .256 batting average.
- What position did Billy O'Brien play?
- Billy O'Brien played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Billy O'Brien and how much did he weigh?
- Billy O'Brien was listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Billy O'Brien hit each season?
- Billy O'Brien's home runs by season: 0 in 1884, 19 in 1887, 9 in 1888, 0 in 1889, and 4 in 1890. His most in one season was 19, in 1887.
- What was Billy O'Brien's career batting average?
- Billy O'Brien batted .256 over his career, with 364 hits in 1,424 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy O'Brien have?
- Billy O'Brien drove in 206 runs in his career.
- What was Billy O'Brien's career ERA?
- Billy O'Brien finished with a 1.80 career ERA, going 1-0 with 7 strikeouts.
- Is Billy O'Brien in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy O'Brien has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.