Tom O'Brien
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1890)
Tom O'Brien was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1890 for 5 teams, including the Worcester Ruby Legs, a span of 9 seasons. In 270 career games, he hit .231 with 257 hits, 4 home runs, and 61 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 4/21/1921 in Worcester, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-06-14
- Last Game
- 1890-07-28
Full name: Thomas H. O'Brien
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | 1,111 | 158 | 257 | 50 | 20 | 4 | 61 | 16 | 52 | 24 | .231 | .267 | .323 | .590 | -1,290 |
Career AVG .231 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.
Career OBP .267 vs. league average .304 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.
Career SLG .323 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.
Career OPS .590 vs. league average .647 across their career seasons — 8.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | WOR | NL | 22 | 89 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .202 | .248 (-19%) | .275 (-23%) | .329 (-28%) | .605 (-26%) | -309.7 |
| 1883 | BL2 | AA | 33 | 138 | 16 | 37 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .268 | .257 (+4%) | .285 (+3%) | .345 (+7%) | .631 (+5%) | 86.5 |
| 1884 | BSU | UA | 103 | 449 | 80 | 118 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | .263 | .243 (+8%) | .278 (+1%) | .327 (+21%) | .606 (+12%) | 676.2 |
| 1885 | BL2 | AA | 8 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .212 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | AA | 31 | 129 | 13 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 14 | .194 | .270 (-28%) | .331 (-36%) | .373 (-34%) | .705 (-35%) | -721.7 |
| 1890 | RC2 | AA | 73 | 273 | 36 | 52 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 6 | 30 | 0 | .190 | .260 (-27%) | .336 (-19%) | .351 (-29%) | .687 (-24%) | -1021.7 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 270 | 1,111 | 158 | 257 | 50 | 20 | 4 | 61 | 16 | 52 | 24 | .231 | — | — | — | — | -1,290 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | NY4 | AA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 7.36 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 7.36 | — | 0 | ||
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 | 96 | 0 | 913 | 28 | 31 | 50 |
| 2B | 142 | 0 | 360 | 400 | 138 | 37 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 35 | 0 | 73 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | WOR | 2B | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1882 | WOR | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1882 | WOR | OF | 20 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| 1883 | BL2 | 2B | 29 | 0 | 77 | 93 | 36 | 8 |
| 1883 | BL2 | OF | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | BSU | 1B | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | BSU | 2B | 99 | 0 | 257 | 267 | 90 | 23 |
| 1884 | BSU | C | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | BSU | OF | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | BL2 | 1B | 6 | 0 | 38 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1885 | BL2 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 1B | 20 | 0 | 177 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | OF | 8 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | RC2 | 1B | 68 | 0 | 677 | 20 | 21 | 40 |
| 1890 | RC2 | 2B | 8 | 0 | 12 | 21 | 7 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 96 |
| Second Base | 142 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Left Field | 19 |
| Center Field | 13 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Tom O'Brien (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Tom O'Brien: the record in brief
June 14, 1882 and July 28, 1890 bracket Tom O'Brien's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), the Baltimore Orioles (1883 to 1885), the Boston Reds (1884), the New York Metropolitans (1887), and the Rochester Broncos (1890). O'Brien, a second baseman by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. O'Brien is listed at 6'1" and 185 pounds. The birth record reads June 22, 1860, in Salem, MA, USA. O'Brien died on April 21, 1921, in Worcester, MA, USA. The given name on file is Thomas H. O'Brien.
O'Brien's career batting table shows 270 games, 1,111 at bats and 257 hits, a .231 average, plus 4 homers and 61 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .267 clip and slugging .323, O'Brien finished with a .590 OPS. O'Brien's .231 average ran 9.0% below the .254 that the league posted over the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 8.8% below league average (.590 against .647).
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom O'Brien
- What years did Tom O'Brien play?
- Tom O'Brien played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1890.
- Was Tom O'Brien a pitcher?
- No. Tom O'Brien was a position player (Second Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Tom O'Brien hit?
- Tom O'Brien hit 4 career home runs with 257 hits.
- What was Tom O'Brien's career batting average?
- Tom O'Brien batted .231 over his career, with 257 hits in 1,111 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tom O'Brien have?
- Tom O'Brien drove in 61 runs in his career.
- What was Tom O'Brien's career ERA?
- Tom O'Brien finished with a 7.36 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.