John O'Donoghue
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1971)
John O'Donoghue was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971 for 6 teams, including the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 9 seasons. Across 257 career appearances, he went 39-55 with a 4.07 ERA and 377 strikeouts. He also batted .170 with 3 home runs. John O'Donoghue was an All-Star.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 203 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1963-09-29
- Last Game
- 1971-06-22
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: John Eugene O'Donoghue
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | KC1 | AL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.50 | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | KC1 | AL | 10 | 14 | 39 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 173.2 | 202 | 95 | 65 | 79 | 4.92 | 3.58 (-38%) | -4714.3 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 9 | 18 | 34 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 177.2 | 183 | 78 | 66 | 82 | 3.95 | 3.50 (-13%) | -1440.0 |
| 1966 | CLE | AL | 6 | 8 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 108.0 | 109 | 46 | 23 | 49 | 3.83 | 3.52 (-9%) | -1041.8 |
| 1967 | CLE | AL | 8 | 9 | 33 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 130.2 | 120 | 47 | 33 | 81 | 3.24 | 3.30 (+2%) | 690.2 |
| 1968 | BAL | AL | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22.0 | 34 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 6.14 | 2.98 (-106%) | -296.7 |
| 1969 | SE1 | AL | 2 | 2 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 70.0 | 58 | 23 | 37 | 48 | 2.96 | 3.61 (+18%) | -292.6 |
| 1970 | ML4 | AL | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.1 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 5.01 | 3.89 (-29%) | -597.3 |
| 1970 | MON | NL | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 5.24 | 3.89 (-35%) | -628.5 |
| 1971 | MON | NL | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4.67 | 3.47 (-35%) | -709.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 39 | 55 | 257 | 96 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 751.0 | 780 | 340 | 260 | 377 | 4.07 | — | -9,030 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 263 | 206 | 16 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 67 | .170 | .190 | .228 | .418 | -403 |
Career AVG .170 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 31.2% below league average.
Career OBP .190 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 39.4% below league average.
Career SLG .228 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 38.1% below league average.
Career OPS .418 vs. league average .682 across their career seasons — 38.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | KC1 | AL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | KC1 | AL | 40 | 55 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 | .236 | .250 (-6%) | .312 (-24%) | .377 (-23%) | .690 (-24%) | -202.1 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 39 | 55 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | .218 | .245 (-11%) | .310 (-25%) | .371 (-22%) | .682 (-23%) | -200.8 |
| 1966 | CLE | AL | 32 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CLE | AL | 33 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | BAL | AL | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1969 | SE1 | AL | 55 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .077 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | ML4 | AL | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | MON | NL | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | MON | NL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 263 | 206 | 16 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 67 | .170 | — | — | — | — | -403 | ||
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 (520 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 127 | 93 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 1 | .172 |
| Away | 136 | 113 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 10 | .168 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 124 | 370.1 | 404 | 175 | 121 | 181 | 4.25 |
| Away | 133 | 380.1 | 376 | 165 | 139 | 197 | 3.90 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-06-22 | WSN | ATL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-21 | WSN | ATL | — | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-20 | WSN | PIT | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-06-11 | WSN | LAD | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-02 | WSN | LAD | — | 2.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1971-05-31 | WSN | LAD | — | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-05-29 | WSN | SFG | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1971-05-24 | WSN | ATL | — | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-05-21 | WSN | PIT | — | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-05-19 | WSN | ATL | — | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | KC1 | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | KC1 | P | 39 | 32 | 8 | 27 | 3 | 4 |
| 1965 | KC1 | P | 34 | 30 | 8 | 36 | 4 | 2 |
| 1966 | CLE | P | 32 | 13 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | CLE | P | 33 | 17 | 7 | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 1968 | BAL | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | SE1 | P | 55 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 1970 | ML4 | P | 25 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1970 | MON | P | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971 | MON | P | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 257 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Missouri Columbia | Columbia | MO | 1958, 1959 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John O'Donoghue (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
John O'Donoghue: the record in brief
The profile opens with John O'Donoghue's first major league game on September 29, 1963; the last one listed came on June 22, 1971. Club by club, the record runs the Kansas City Athletics (1963 through 1965), the Cleveland Indians (1966 through 1967), the Baltimore Orioles (1968), the Seattle Pilots (1969), the Milwaukee Brewers (1970), and the Montreal Expos (1970 to 1971). O'Donoghue, born on October 7, 1939, in Kansas City, MO, USA, is listed as a pitcher and hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 4 inches and 203 pounds. O'Donoghue's full given name, per the bio, is John Eugene O'Donoghue.
Across 257 games (96 starts), O'Donoghue recorded 39 wins against 55 losses with a 4.07 ERA. O'Donoghue had 377 strikeouts, 13 complete games, and 10 saves. The league ERA over O'Donoghue's seasons was 3.49, so the 4.07 figure ran 16.8% worse than average. O'Donoghue won 10 games in 1964, the most of any season listed. O'Donoghue struck out 82 batters in 1965, a career high.
Frequently Asked Questions about John O'Donoghue
- What years did John O'Donoghue play?
- John O'Donoghue played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971.
- Was John O'Donoghue a pitcher?
- Yes. John O'Donoghue pitched in the major leagues, recording 39 wins and 377 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did John O'Donoghue hit?
- John O'Donoghue hit 3 career home runs with 35 hits.
- What teams did John O'Donoghue play for?
- John O'Donoghue played for 5 teams: the Kansas City Athletics (1963–1965), the Cleveland Indians (1966–1967), the Baltimore Orioles (1968), the Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1970), and the Montreal Expos (1970–1971).
- Did John O'Donoghue win a Cy Young Award?
- No. John O'Donoghue did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did John O'Donoghue win?
- John O'Donoghue was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were John O'Donoghue's career stats?
- In 257 games, John O'Donoghue went 39-55 with a 4.07 ERA, 377 strikeouts, 751.0 innings pitched, and 10 saves. At the plate he had 35 hits and 3 home runs.
- What position did John O'Donoghue play?
- John O'Donoghue played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John O'Donoghue and how much did he weigh?
- John O'Donoghue was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 203 pounds.
- What was John O'Donoghue's career ERA?
- John O'Donoghue finished with a 4.07 career ERA, going 39-55 with 377 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did John O'Donoghue have?
- John O'Donoghue recorded 377 career strikeouts.
- Is John O'Donoghue in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John O'Donoghue has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did John O'Donoghue make?
- John O'Donoghue was selected to 1 All-Star Game.