John O'Brien
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1891-1899)
John O'Brien was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1899 for 6 teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 9 seasons. In 501 career games, he hit .254 with 486 hits, 12 home runs, and 229 RBI.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 175 lb
- Died
- 5/12/1913 in Lewiston, ME, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1891-07-25
- Last Game
- 1899-10-07
Full name: John Joseph O'Brien
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | 1,910 | 246 | 486 | 47 | 17 | 12 | 229 | 45 | 154 | 81 | .254 | .322 | .316 | .637 | -3,970 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.
Career OBP .322 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career SLG .316 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 15.8% below league average.
Career OPS .637 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 12.0% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | BRO | NL | 43 | 167 | 22 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 12 | 17 | .246 | .254 (-3%) | .331 (-7%) | .343 (-15%) | .675 (-11%) | -277.2 |
| 1893 | CHN | NL | 4 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1895 | LS3 | NL | 128 | 539 | 82 | 138 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 50 | 15 | 45 | 20 | .256 | .296 (-14%) | .361 (-10%) | .399 (-26%) | .761 (-19%) | -1584.8 |
| 1896 | LS3 | NL | 49 | 186 | 24 | 63 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 13 | 7 | .339 | .290 (+17%) | .354 (+9%) | .387 (+11%) | .741 (+10%) | 335.9 |
| 1896 | WAS | NL | 73 | 270 | 38 | 72 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 27 | 12 | .267 | .290 (-8%) | .354 (-3%) | .387 (-8%) | .741 (-6%) | 335.9 |
| 1897 | WAS | NL | 86 | 320 | 37 | 78 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 45 | 6 | 19 | 10 | .244 | .291 (-16%) | .354 (-13%) | .387 (-17%) | .741 (-15%) | -770.0 |
| 1899 | BLN | NL | 39 | 135 | 14 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 6 | .193 | .282 (-32%) | .343 (-18%) | .366 (-33%) | .710 (-26%) | -523.0 |
| 1899 | PIT | NL | 79 | 279 | 26 | 63 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 8 | 21 | 7 | .226 | .282 (-20%) | .343 (-17%) | .366 (-26%) | .710 (-22%) | -523.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 501 | 1,910 | 246 | 486 | 47 | 17 | 12 | 229 | 45 | 154 | 81 | .254 | — | — | — | — | -3,006 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (118 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 72 | 254 | 22 | 55 | 0 | 33 | .217 |
| Away | 46 | 161 | 18 | 34 | 2 | 17 | .211 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899-10-07 | PIT | CL4 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-22 | PIT | NY1 | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-22 | PIT | NY1 | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899-09-20 | PIT | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-19 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-18 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-18 | PIT | BSN | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-16 | PIT | BSN | L | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-09 | PIT | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-08 | PIT | LS3 | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2B | 498 | 0 | 1222 | 1516 | 188 | 218 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | BRO | 2B | 43 | 0 | 85 | 102 | 32 | 13 |
| 1893 | CHN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 1895 | LS3 | 1B | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1895 | LS3 | 2B | 125 | 0 | 304 | 396 | 46 | 56 |
| 1896 | LS3 | 2B | 49 | 0 | 125 | 147 | 24 | 19 |
| 1896 | WAS | 2B | 73 | 0 | 166 | 228 | 20 | 33 |
| 1897 | WAS | 2B | 86 | 0 | 223 | 260 | 30 | 43 |
| 1899 | BLN | 2B | 39 | 0 | 98 | 132 | 8 | 21 |
| 1899 | PIT | 2B | 79 | 0 | 211 | 243 | 26 | 32 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 3 |
| Second Base | 498 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John O'Brien (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
John O'Brien: the record in brief
John O'Brien played a first major league game on July 25, 1891 and a last one on October 7, 1899. The team column moves through the Brooklyn Grooms (1891), the Chicago Colts (1893), the Louisville Colonels (1895 to 1896), the Washington Senators (1896 through 1897), the Baltimore Orioles (1899), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1899). O'Brien is listed as a second baseman at 175 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The bio says O'Brien threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded birth is July 13, 1866, in Saint John, NB, CAN. O'Brien died on May 12, 1913, in Lewiston, ME, USA. The bio lists the given name John Joseph.
Across 501 games at the plate, O'Brien's career line reads 486 hits in 1,910 at bats for a .254 average, plus 12 home runs, 229 runs batted in, and 45 stolen bases. O'Brien got on base at a .322 rate and slugged .316 (.637 OPS). O'Brien's .254 average ran 9.4% below the .281 that the league posted over the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 138, in 1895. O'Brien drove in a season-high 50 runs in 1895.
Frequently Asked Questions about John O'Brien
- What years did John O'Brien play?
- John O'Brien played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1899.
- Was John O'Brien a pitcher?
- No. John O'Brien was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did John O'Brien hit?
- John O'Brien hit 12 career home runs with 486 hits.
- What was John O'Brien's career batting average?
- John O'Brien batted .254 over his career, with 486 hits in 1,910 at bats.
- How many RBI did John O'Brien have?
- John O'Brien drove in 229 runs in his career.
- Is John O'Brien in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John O'Brien has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.