Jack O'Connor Marquee

b. June 2, 1866 · Cincinnati Red Stockings 1887–1888, Columbus Solons 1889–1891, Cleveland Spiders 1892–1898, St. Louis Perfectos 1899, St. Louis Cardinals 1900, Pittsburgh Pirates 1900–1902, New York Highlanders 1903, St. Louis Browns 1904, 1906–1907, 1910

On the last day of the 1910 season, with Ty Cobb and Nap Lajoie fighting to finish the season with the better average and a new automobile offered to the winner, O'Connor had his rookie third baseman play so deep that Lajoie beat out eight bunts in one doubleheader. American League president Ban Johnson investigated, credited both hitters as having the league's best average that year as a compromise, and banned O'Connor from ever managing in the league again.

As a player he caught, played the outfield and covered first base across twenty-one seasons, hitting 1,418 hits, 738 runs batted in and a .263 average for eight clubs, and he was regarded as a durable, capable receiver long before the Lajoie affair defined how he is remembered.

He worked in Cleveland real estate after baseball banned him from its dugouts. No Hall of Fame ballot ever listed him. He died in 1937, at seventy-one.

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1887	CIN	12	40	4	4	0	0	0	1	2	0	3	.100
1888	CIN	36	137	14	28	3	1	1	17	6	10	12	.204
1889	COL	107	398	69	107	17	7	4	60	33	37	26	.269
1890	COL	121	457	89	148	14	10	2	66	38	0	29	.324
1891	COL	56	229	28	61	12	3	0	37	11	14	10	.266
1892	CLV	140	572	71	142	22	5	1	58	25	48	17	.248
1893	CLV	96	384	72	110	23	1	4	75	29	12	29	.286
1894	CLV	86	330	67	104	23	7	2	51	15	7	15	.315
1895	CLV	90	343	52	100	14	10	0	58	31	22	11	.292
1896	CLV	68	256	41	76	11	1	1	43	15	12	15	.297
1897	CLV	103	397	49	115	21	4	2	69	26	21	20	.290
1898	CLV	131	478	50	119	17	4	1	56	26	17	8	.249
1899	STL	84	289	33	73	5	6	0	43	15	6	7	.253
1900	PIT/STL	53	179	19	42	4	1	0	25	5	6	5	.235
1901	PIT	61	202	16	39	7	3	0	22	10	17	2	.193
1902	PIT	49	170	13	50	1	2	1	28	3	11	2	.294
1903	NYY	64	212	13	43	4	1	0	12	8	21	4	.203
1904	SLB	14	47	4	10	1	0	0	2	2	2	0	.213
1906	SLB	55	174	8	33	0	0	0	11	2	7	4	.190
1907	SLB	25	89	2	14	2	0	0	4	0	15	0	.157
1910	SLB	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—
Career	—	1452	5383	714	1418	201	66	19	738	302	285	219	.263

On this day & linked events

1866

Born June 2, 1866

St. Louis, MO, USA

1937

Died November 14, 1937

1887

Major-league debut: Jack O'Connor

Jack O'Connor made a major-league debut on April 20, 1887.

1910

Final major-league game: Jack O'Connor

Jack O'Connor played a final major-league game on October 9, 1910.

Image: BPL, public domain