John O'Connell
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1891-1902)
John O'Connell was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1902 for the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 12 seasons. In 16 career games, he hit .176 with 9 hits and 7 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
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 170 lb
- Died
- 5/14/1908 in Derry, NH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1891-08-22
- Last Game
- 1902-09-20
Full name: John Joseph O'Connell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 51 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | .176 | .263 | .196 | .459 | 0 |
Career AVG .176 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 32.2% below league average.
Career OBP .263 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 19.5% below league average.
Career SLG .196 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 42.9% below league average.
Career OPS .459 vs. league average .670 across their career seasons — 31.5% 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 | BL3 | AA | 8 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 6 | .172 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1902 | DET | AL | 8 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 16 | 51 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 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.
Game Log & Splits
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 8 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .182 |
Last 8 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902-09-20 | DET | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1902-09-20 | DET | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-09-19 | DET | CHW | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902-09-18 | DET | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902-09-17 | DET | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902-09-16 | DET | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902-09-15 | DET | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-09-15 | DET | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 9 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
| Right Field | 2 |
John O'Connell: the record in brief
According to the bio, John O'Connell debuted on August 22, 1891 and played a final game on September 20, 1902. The season rows list, in order, the Baltimore Orioles (1891) and the Detroit Tigers (1902). O'Connell is listed as a second baseman at 5 feet, 9 inches and 170 pounds. The recorded birth is May 16, 1872, in Ireland. The bio records the death on May 14, 1908, in Derry, NH, USA. O'Connell's full given name, per the bio, is John Joseph O'Connell.
Across 16 games at the plate, O'Connell's career line reads 9 hits in 51 at bats for a .176 average, plus 7 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .263 and .196 give O'Connell a career OPS of .459. The league as a whole hit .260 across O'Connell's seasons, which puts the .176 career mark 32.2% below average. The hits column peaks at 5, in 1891. The best average in the busiest seasons was .182, in 1902.
O'Connell played 9 games at second base, more than anywhere else, and also saw time at shortstop (3), first base (2), and right field (2).
Frequently Asked Questions about John O'Connell
- What years did John O'Connell play?
- John O'Connell played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1902.
- Was John O'Connell a pitcher?
- No. John O'Connell was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did John O'Connell hit?
- John O'Connell hit 0 career home runs with 9 hits.
- What was John O'Connell's career batting average?
- John O'Connell batted .176 over his career, with 9 hits in 51 at bats.
- How many RBI did John O'Connell have?
- John O'Connell drove in 7 runs in his career.
- Is John O'Connell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John O'Connell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.