Danny O'Connell
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1950-1962)
Danny O'Connell was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1962 for 5 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,143 career games, he hit .260 with 1,049 hits, 39 home runs, and 320 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
- 5'11" / 168 lb
- Died
- 10/2/1969 in Clifton, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1950-07-14
- Last Game
- 1962-09-26
Full name: Daniel Francis O'Connell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,143 | 4,035 | 527 | 1,049 | 181 | 35 | 39 | 320 | 48 | 431 | 396 | .260 | .333 | .351 | .684 | -3,141 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .351 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.
Career OPS .684 vs. league average .725 across their career seasons — 5.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | PIT | NL | 79 | 315 | 39 | 92 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 32 | 7 | 24 | 33 | .292 | .265 (+10%) | .346 (-1%) | .401 (+6%) | .747 (+3%) | 102.0 |
| 1953 | PIT | NL | 149 | 588 | 88 | 173 | 26 | 8 | 7 | 55 | 3 | 57 | 42 | .294 | .264 (+11%) | .335 (+7%) | .397 (+1%) | .733 (+4%) | 526.1 |
| 1954 | ML1 | NL | 146 | 541 | 61 | 151 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 37 | 2 | 38 | 46 | .279 | .261 (+7%) | .333 (-2%) | .390 (-9%) | .723 (-6%) | -507.2 |
| 1955 | ML1 | NL | 124 | 453 | 47 | 102 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 2 | 28 | 43 | .225 | .258 (-13%) | .332 (-17%) | .393 (-20%) | .726 (-18%) | -1400.2 |
| 1956 | ML1 | NL | 139 | 498 | 71 | 119 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 42 | 3 | 76 | 42 | .239 | .258 (-7%) | .331 (+3%) | .397 (-19%) | .728 (-9%) | -573.0 |
| 1957 | ML1 | NL | 48 | 183 | 29 | 43 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 20 | .235 | .257 (-9%) | .323 (-4%) | .391 (-20%) | .715 (-13%) | -339.2 |
| 1957 | NY1 | NL | 95 | 364 | 57 | 97 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 8 | 33 | 30 | .266 | .257 (+3%) | .323 (+2%) | .391 (avg) | .715 (+1%) | -339.2 |
| 1958 | SFN | NL | 107 | 306 | 44 | 71 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 51 | 35 | .232 | .257 (-10%) | .324 (+5%) | .394 (-20%) | .719 (-9%) | -311.1 |
| 1959 | SFN | NL | 34 | 58 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | .190 | .256 (-26%) | .323 (-22%) | .392 (-38%) | .715 (-31%) | -278.9 |
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 138 | 493 | 61 | 128 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 15 | 77 | 62 | .260 | .258 (+1%) | .328 (+10%) | .399 (-17%) | .727 (-5%) | -152.3 |
| 1962 | WS2 | AL | 84 | 236 | 24 | 62 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 28 | .263 | .257 (+2%) | .326 (avg) | .393 (-15%) | .719 (-8%) | -268.7 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 1,143 | 4,035 | 527 | 1,049 | 181 | 35 | 39 | 320 | 48 | 431 | 396 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -3,542 | ||
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 (1143 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 579 | 1989 | 245 | 519 | 16 | 156 | .261 |
| Away | 564 | 2046 | 282 | 530 | 23 | 164 | .259 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-09-26 | TEX | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-09-25 | TEX | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-09-22 | TEX | BOS | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-19 | TEX | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-16 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-14 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-11 | TEX | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-09 | TEX | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-09-09 | TEX | CHW | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-08 | TEX | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 8 | 8 | 63 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 2B | 713 | 633 | 1657 | 2049 | 74 | 508 |
| 3B | 335 | 184 | 346 | 700 | 48 | 63 |
| SS | 68 | 0 | 148 | 230 | 9 | 48 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | PIT | 3B | 12 | 0 | 15 | 39 | 2 | 2 |
| 1950 | PIT | SS | 65 | 0 | 147 | 228 | 9 | 47 |
| 1953 | PIT | 2B | 47 | 0 | 107 | 149 | 8 | 27 |
| 1953 | PIT | 3B | 104 | 0 | 119 | 221 | 15 | 16 |
| 1954 | ML1 | 1B | 8 | 8 | 63 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 1954 | ML1 | 2B | 103 | 100 | 244 | 314 | 12 | 83 |
| 1954 | ML1 | 3B | 35 | 28 | 44 | 67 | 0 | 7 |
| 1954 | ML1 | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955 | ML1 | 2B | 114 | 111 | 309 | 357 | 13 | 76 |
| 1955 | ML1 | 3B | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1955 | ML1 | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956 | ML1 | 2B | 138 | 132 | 295 | 381 | 10 | 98 |
| 1956 | ML1 | 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | ML1 | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | ML1 | 2B | 48 | 47 | 128 | 145 | 5 | 43 |
| 1957 | NY1 | 2B | 68 | 63 | 156 | 194 | 7 | 50 |
| 1957 | NY1 | 3B | 30 | 26 | 33 | 69 | 4 | 6 |
| 1958 | SFN | 2B | 104 | 99 | 222 | 278 | 7 | 70 |
| 1958 | SFN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | SFN | 2B | 8 | 4 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959 | SFN | 3B | 26 | 14 | 15 | 36 | 4 | 3 |
| 1961 | WS2 | 2B | 61 | 58 | 144 | 170 | 7 | 52 |
| 1961 | WS2 | 3B | 73 | 74 | 75 | 173 | 16 | 14 |
| 1962 | WS2 | 2B | 22 | 19 | 36 | 52 | 5 | 8 |
| 1962 | WS2 | 3B | 41 | 35 | 34 | 89 | 5 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 8 |
| Second Base | 712 |
| Third Base | 336 |
| Shortstop | 68 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 16th | 10.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1950 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 4.0 | 24 | 4 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Danny O'Connell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Danny O'Connell: the record in brief
Danny O'Connell's major league career runs from a debut on July 14, 1950 to a final game on September 26, 1962. The season rows list, in order, the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950 through 1953), the Milwaukee Braves (1954 through 1957), the New York Giants (1957), the San Francisco Giants (1958 through 1959), and the Washington Senators (1961 to 1962). O'Connell played primarily as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on January 21, 1929, in Paterson, NJ, USA, O'Connell was listed at 168 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio records the death on October 2, 1969, in Clifton, NJ, USA. The given name on file is Daniel Francis O'Connell.
The batting record for O'Connell: 1,143 games, 1,049 hits in 4,035 at bats, and a .260 average, adding 39 homers, 320 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. O'Connell got on base at a .333 rate and slugged .351 (.684 OPS). Against a .260 league average for those years, O'Connell's .260 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, O'Connell's .684 stands 5.7% below the league's .725. 1953 produced O'Connell's most hits, 173 of them for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Frequently Asked Questions about Danny O'Connell
- What years did Danny O'Connell play?
- Danny O'Connell played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1962.
- Was Danny O'Connell a pitcher?
- No. Danny O'Connell was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Danny O'Connell hit?
- Danny O'Connell hit 39 career home runs with 1,049 hits.
- What teams did Danny O'Connell play for?
- Danny O'Connell played for 4 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950, 1953), the Milwaukee Braves (1954–1957), the San Francisco Giants (1957–1959), and the Washington Senators (1961–1962).
- What were Danny O'Connell's career stats?
- In 1,143 games, Danny O'Connell had 1,049 hits, 39 home runs, 320 RBI, 527 runs, and 48 stolen bases, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did Danny O'Connell play?
- Danny O'Connell played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Danny O'Connell and how much did he weigh?
- Danny O'Connell was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 168 pounds.
- How many home runs did Danny O'Connell hit each season?
- Danny O'Connell's home runs by season: 8 in 1950, 7 in 1953, 2 in 1954, 6 in 1955, 2 in 1956, 8 in 1957, 3 in 1958, 0 in 1959, 1 in 1961, and 2 in 1962. His most in one season was 8, in 1950 and 1957.
- What was Danny O'Connell's career batting average?
- Danny O'Connell batted .260 over his career, with 1,049 hits in 4,035 at bats.
- How many RBI did Danny O'Connell have?
- Danny O'Connell drove in 320 runs in his career.
- Is Danny O'Connell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Danny O'Connell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.