Syd O'Brien
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1972)
Syd O'Brien was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1972 for 4 teams, including the Boston Red Sox, a span of 4 seasons. In 378 career games, he hit .230 with 242 hits, 24 home runs, and 100 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1969-04-15
- Last Game
- 1972-10-01
Full name: Sydney Lloyd O'Brien
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 378 | 1,052 | 135 | 242 | 35 | 8 | 24 | 100 | 5 | 60 | 155 | .230 | .273 | .347 | .620 | -1,882 |
Career AVG .230 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.
Career OBP .273 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 14.1% below league average.
Career SLG .347 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.
Career OPS .620 vs. league average .687 across their career seasons — 9.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | BOS | AL | 100 | 263 | 47 | 64 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 2 | 15 | 37 | .243 | .248 (-2%) | .320 (-10%) | .369 (+14%) | .689 (+3%) | 11.4 |
| 1970 | CHA | AL | 121 | 441 | 48 | 109 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 44 | 3 | 22 | 62 | .247 | .253 (-3%) | .325 (-13%) | .385 (-12%) | .711 (-12%) | -899.4 |
| 1971 | CAL | AL | 90 | 251 | 25 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 33 | .199 | .249 (-20%) | .316 (-22%) | .365 (-18%) | .682 (-20%) | -789.7 |
| 1972 | CAL | AL | 36 | 39 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | ML4 | AL | 31 | 58 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .207 | .243 (-15%) | .310 (-26%) | .353 (-17%) | .664 (-21%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 378 | 1,052 | 135 | 242 | 35 | 8 | 24 | 100 | 5 | 60 | 155 | .230 | — | — | — | — | -1,678 | ||
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 (378 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 190 | 512 | 81 | 132 | 16 | 49 | .258 |
| Away | 188 | 540 | 54 | 110 | 8 | 51 | .204 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-10-01 | MIL | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-09-30 | MIL | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-09-24 | MIL | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-17 | MIL | DET | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-16 | MIL | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-15 | MIL | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-09-14 | MIL | CLE | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-12 | MIL | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-12 | MIL | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-11 | MIL | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2B | 72 | 56 | 141 | 187 | 16 | 54 |
| 3B | 144 | 123 | 104 | 279 | 27 | 34 |
| OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 76 | 56 | 104 | 169 | 16 | 37 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | BOS | 2B | 12 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 2 | 12 |
| 1969 | BOS | 3B | 53 | 43 | 34 | 105 | 9 | 12 |
| 1969 | BOS | SS | 15 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 4 | 6 |
| 1970 | CHA | 2B | 43 | 38 | 96 | 127 | 10 | 31 |
| 1970 | CHA | 3B | 68 | 65 | 59 | 137 | 13 | 18 |
| 1970 | CHA | SS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1971 | CAL | 1B | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971 | CAL | 2B | 7 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 2 | 7 |
| 1971 | CAL | 3B | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CAL | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CAL | SS | 52 | 46 | 87 | 136 | 9 | 30 |
| 1972 | CAL | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | CAL | 2B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972 | CAL | 3B | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | CAL | SS | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | ML4 | 2B | 7 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| 1972 | ML4 | 3B | 9 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 71 |
| Third Base | 144 |
| Shortstop | 76 |
| Right Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | CA | 1963 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Syd O'Brien (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Syd O'Brien: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 15, 1969 and the final game on October 1, 1972, Syd O'Brien built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Boston Red Sox (1969), the Chicago White Sox (1970), the California Angels (1971 to 1972), and the Milwaukee Brewers (1972). O'Brien, a third baseman by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. The birth record reads February 18, 1944, in Compton, CA, USA. The bio lists the given name Sydney Lloyd.
O'Brien finished with 242 hits from 1,052 at bats in 378 games, which works out to .230, plus 24 homers and 100 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .273 and .347 give O'Brien a career OPS of .620. Measured against the leagues O'Brien played in, the .230 career average compares with a .249 league average over the same seasons, 7.6% below the league. The hits column peaks at 109, in 1970. 1970 brought the most runs batted in, 44. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .247 in 1970, did not top the league's .253.
Frequently Asked Questions about Syd O'Brien
- What years did Syd O'Brien play?
- Syd O'Brien played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1972.
- Was Syd O'Brien a pitcher?
- No. Syd O'Brien was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Syd O'Brien hit?
- Syd O'Brien hit 24 career home runs with 242 hits.
- What was Syd O'Brien's career batting average?
- Syd O'Brien batted .230 over his career, with 242 hits in 1,052 at bats.
- How many RBI did Syd O'Brien have?
- Syd O'Brien drove in 100 runs in his career.
- Is Syd O'Brien in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Syd O'Brien has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.