James Francis O'Rourke (November 28, 1893 – May 14, 1986) was a Canadian
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
for the
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
,
Brooklyn Robins
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californi ...
,
Washington Senators,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
,
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, and
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
between 1912 and 1931.
["Frank O'Rourke Statistics and History"](_blank)
"baseball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2017-05-14.
Biography
O'Rourke was born in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
, Canada, and debuted as the third youngest player in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
at 17 years age. His best season was , when he batted .293 with 40
doubles, 5
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, and 57
RBI. In his career, he played at all four infield positions, primarily
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
, where he had a .949 career
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
in 598 games. O'Rourke was also a longtime
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
scout.
In 1986, O'Rourke died at age 92 in
Chatham, New Jersey
"The Chathams" is a term used in reference to shared services for two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, New Jersey, United States – Chatham Borough, New Jersey, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, New Jers ...
. He was inducted posthumously into the
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (french: Temple de la renommée du baseball canadien) is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museum commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.
His ...
in 1996.
References
External links
1893 births
1986 deaths
Baseball players from Hamilton, Ontario
Binghamton Bingoes players
Birmingham Barons players
Boston Braves players
Boston Red Sox players
Bridgeport Orators players
Brooklyn Robins players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
Charlotte Hornets (baseball) players
Cincinnati Reds scouts
Detroit Tigers players
El Dorado Lions players
Irish Canadian baseball players
Major League Baseball infielders
Major League Baseball players from Canada
Major League Baseball second basemen
Major League Baseball shortstops
Major League Baseball third basemen
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) managers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players
Montreal Royals players
New London Planters players
New York Yankees scouts
St. Louis Browns players
Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players
Utica Utes players
Washington Senators (1901–1960) players
Wilkes-Barre Barons (baseball) players
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
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