John O'Rourke
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1879-1883)
John O'Rourke was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1879 to 1883 for the Boston Braves and the New York Metropolitans, a span of 5 seasons. In 230 career games, he hit .295 with 279 hits, 11 home runs, and 98 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,896.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- Died
- 6/23/1911 in Boston, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1879-05-01
- Last Game
- 1883-09-10
Full name: John W. O'Rourke
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230 | 945 | 148 | 279 | 58 | 24 | 11 | 98 | 0 | 47 | 64 | .295 | .329 | .442 | .771 | 3,896 |
Career AVG .295 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +16.3% above league average.
Career OBP .329 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — +18.1% above league average.
Career SLG .442 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +31.8% above league average.
Career OPS .771 vs. league average .614 across their career seasons — +25.6% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879 | BSN | NL | 72 | 317 | 69 | 108 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 62 | 0 | 8 | 32 | .341 | .255 (+33%) | .270 (+32%) | .328 (+58%) | .599 (+46%) | 2128.4 |
| 1880 | BSN | NL | 81 | 313 | 30 | 86 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 18 | 32 | .275 | .244 (+12%) | .267 (+18%) | .319 (+33%) | .586 (+26%) | 1205.9 |
| 1883 | NY4 | AA | 77 | 315 | 49 | 85 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | .270 | .257 (+5%) | .285 (+10%) | .345 (+10%) | .631 (+10%) | 562.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 230 | 945 | 148 | 279 | 58 | 24 | 11 | 98 | 0 | 47 | 64 | .295 | — | — | — | — | 3,896 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 3 |
| Center Field | 224 |
| Right Field | 2 |
John O'Rourke: the record in brief
The profile opens with John O'Rourke's first major league game on May 1, 1879; the last one listed came on September 10, 1883. The season rows list, in order, the Boston Red Caps (1879 to 1880) and the New York Metropolitans (1883). Born on August 23, 1849, in Bridgeport, CT, USA, O'Rourke is listed as an outfielder and both batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. The bio records the death on June 23, 1911, in Boston, MA, USA. The given name on file is John W. O'Rourke.
O'Rourke collected 279 hits in 945 at bats across 230 games, good for a .295 batting average, plus 11 homers and 98 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .329 and .442 give O'Rourke a career OPS of .771. O'Rourke's .295 average ran 16.3% above the .254 that the league posted over the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 108, in 1879. The Lg AVG column puts O'Rourke's 1879 at .341 against .255, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 33%.
Frequently Asked Questions about John O'Rourke
- What years did John O'Rourke play?
- John O'Rourke played in Major League Baseball from 1879 to 1883.
- Was John O'Rourke a pitcher?
- No. John O'Rourke was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did John O'Rourke hit?
- John O'Rourke hit 11 career home runs with 279 hits.
- What teams did John O'Rourke play for?
- John O'Rourke played for 2 teams: the Boston Red Caps (1879–1880) and the New York Metropolitans (1883).
- What were John O'Rourke's career stats?
- In 230 games, John O'Rourke had 279 hits, 11 home runs, 98 RBI, and 148 runs, with a .295 batting average.
- What position did John O'Rourke play?
- John O'Rourke played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John O'Rourke and how much did he weigh?
- John O'Rourke was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did John O'Rourke hit each season?
- John O'Rourke's home runs by season: 6 in 1879, 3 in 1880, and 2 in 1883. His most in one season was 6, in 1879.
- What was John O'Rourke's career batting average?
- John O'Rourke batted .295 over his career, with 279 hits in 945 at bats.
- How many RBI did John O'Rourke have?
- John O'Rourke drove in 98 runs in his career.
- Is John O'Rourke in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John O'Rourke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.