Charley O'Leary
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1904-1934)
Charley O'Leary was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1904 to 1934 for the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the St. Louis Browns, a span of 31 seasons. In 955 career games, he hit .226 with 731 hits, 3 home runs, and 220 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 165 lb
- Died
- 1/6/1941 in Chicago, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1904-04-14
- Last Game
- 1934-09-30
Full name: Charles Timothy O'Leary
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 955 | 3,232 | 317 | 731 | 104 | 18 | 3 | 220 | 74 | 164 | 247 | .226 | .270 | .272 | .543 | -6,765 |
Career AVG .226 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 11.2% below league average.
Career OBP .270 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — 14.7% below league average.
Career SLG .272 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 18.6% below league average.
Career OPS .543 vs. league average .652 across their career seasons — 16.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | DET | AL | 135 | 456 | 39 | 97 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 42 | .213 | .246 (-14%) | .300 (-16%) | .321 (-21%) | .622 (-18%) | -1164.7 |
| 1905 | DET | AL | 148 | 512 | 47 | 109 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 13 | 29 | 29 | .213 | .248 (-14%) | .307 (-16%) | .322 (-25%) | .629 (-20%) | -1453.7 |
| 1906 | DET | AL | 128 | 443 | 34 | 97 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 8 | 17 | 35 | .219 | .247 (-12%) | .307 (-18%) | .315 (-14%) | .622 (-16%) | -1049.9 |
| 1907 | DET | AL | 139 | 465 | 61 | 112 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 11 | 32 | 36 | .241 | .245 (-2%) | .304 (-2%) | .308 (-7%) | .613 (-5%) | -273.4 |
| 1908 | DET | AL | 65 | 211 | 21 | 53 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 16 | .251 | .240 (+4%) | .298 (-1%) | .306 (+5%) | .605 (+2%) | 27.1 |
| 1909 | DET | AL | 76 | 261 | 29 | 53 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 21 | .203 | .244 (-17%) | .306 (-27%) | .312 (-23%) | .618 (-25%) | -953.5 |
| 1910 | DET | AL | 65 | 211 | 23 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 15 | .242 | .249 (-3%) | .317 (-13%) | .326 (-13%) | .644 (-13%) | -430.1 |
| 1911 | DET | AL | 74 | 256 | 29 | 68 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 10 | 21 | 18 | .266 | .266 (avg) | .336 (avg) | .356 (-12%) | .693 (-6%) | -208.1 |
| 1912 | DET | AL | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1913 | SLN | NL | 121 | 406 | 32 | 88 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 20 | 34 | .217 | .259 (-17%) | .325 (-20%) | .345 (-19%) | .670 (-20%) | -1258.8 |
| 1934 | SLA | AL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 955 | 3,232 | 317 | 731 | 104 | 18 | 3 | 220 | 74 | 164 | 247 | .226 | — | — | — | — | -6,765 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (958 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 447 | 1487 | 188 | 385 | 2 | 121 | .259 |
| Away | 511 | 1757 | 127 | 346 | 1 | 103 | .197 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934-09-30 | SLA | DET | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-10-05 | STL | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-10-04 | STL | CIN | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-21 | STL | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-21 | STL | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-19 | STL | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-19 | STL | NY1 | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-14 | STL | BRO | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1913-09-13 | STL | PHI | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-11 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 139 | 50 | 317 | 380 | 29 | 43 |
| 3B | 66 | 56 | 73 | 143 | 16 | 10 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 737 | 620 | 1709 | 2241 | 273 | 200 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | DET | SS | 135 | 134 | 308 | 439 | 54 | 48 |
| 1905 | DET | SS | 148 | 148 | 358 | 411 | 55 | 40 |
| 1906 | DET | SS | 127 | 126 | 326 | 398 | 58 | 37 |
| 1907 | DET | SS | 138 | 136 | 353 | 448 | 48 | 35 |
| 1908 | DET | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | DET | SS | 64 | 62 | 130 | 179 | 27 | 15 |
| 1909 | DET | 2B | 15 | 14 | 36 | 34 | 1 | 3 |
| 1909 | DET | 3B | 54 | 53 | 59 | 118 | 15 | 4 |
| 1909 | DET | OF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | DET | SS | 4 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 1910 | DET | 2B | 38 | 36 | 81 | 93 | 12 | 10 |
| 1910 | DET | 3B | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 1910 | DET | SS | 18 | 13 | 35 | 60 | 4 | 2 |
| 1911 | DET | 2B | 67 | 0 | 169 | 201 | 13 | 19 |
| 1911 | DET | 3B | 6 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| 1912 | DET | 2B | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913 | SLN | 2B | 15 | 0 | 25 | 41 | 3 | 11 |
| 1913 | SLN | SS | 103 | 0 | 193 | 297 | 25 | 22 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 142 |
| Third Base | 70 |
| Shortstop | 734 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Charley O'Leary (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Charley O'Leary: the record in brief
Charley O'Leary's major league career runs from a debut on April 14, 1904 to a final game on September 30, 1934. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Tigers (1904 through 1912), the St. Louis Cardinals (1913), and the St. Louis Browns (1934). O'Leary played primarily as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. Born on October 15, 1875, in Chicago, IL, USA, O'Leary was listed at 165 pounds on a 5-foot-7 frame. The bio records the death on January 6, 1941, in Chicago, IL, USA. On the record, Charley O'Leary was born Charles Timothy O'Leary.
O'Leary's career batting table shows 955 games, 3,232 at bats and 731 hits, a .226 average, plus 3 home runs, 220 runs batted in, and 74 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .270 clip and slugging .272, O'Leary finished with a .543 OPS. O'Leary's .226 average ran 11.2% below the .255 that the league posted over the same seasons. O'Leary collected a career-high 112 hits in 1907. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .241 in 1907, did not top the league's .245.
Frequently Asked Questions about Charley O'Leary
- What years did Charley O'Leary play?
- Charley O'Leary played in Major League Baseball from 1904 to 1934.
- Was Charley O'Leary a pitcher?
- No. Charley O'Leary was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Charley O'Leary hit?
- Charley O'Leary hit 3 career home runs with 731 hits.
- What teams did Charley O'Leary play for?
- Charley O'Leary played for 3 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1904–1912), the St. Louis Cardinals (1913), and the St. Louis Browns (1934).
- What were Charley O'Leary's career stats?
- In 955 games, Charley O'Leary had 731 hits, 3 home runs, 220 RBI, 317 runs, and 74 stolen bases, with a .226 batting average.
- What position did Charley O'Leary play?
- Charley O'Leary played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Charley O'Leary and how much did he weigh?
- Charley O'Leary was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Charley O'Leary hit each season?
- Charley O'Leary's home runs by season: 1 in 1904, 0 in 1905, 2 in 1906, 0 in 1907, 0 in 1908, 0 in 1909, 0 in 1910, 0 in 1911, 0 in 1912, 0 in 1913, and 0 in 1934. His most in one season was 2, in 1906.
- What was Charley O'Leary's career batting average?
- Charley O'Leary batted .226 over his career, with 731 hits in 3,232 at bats.
- How many RBI did Charley O'Leary have?
- Charley O'Leary drove in 220 runs in his career.
- Is Charley O'Leary in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Charley O'Leary has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.