George Michael Jakob O'Neil (April 12, 1900 in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

– April 8, 1964), was a professional baseball player who played

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

from 1919 to 1927. O'Neil was coaching third base for the Brooklyn Robins when

Babe Herman Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman (June 26, 1903 – November 27, 1987) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder between and , most prominently as a member of the Brooklyn D ...

"doubled into a double play" against the Boston Braves August 15, 1926. Otto Miller was the Dodgers' regular third base coach, but before the seventh inning, complained about getting tired walking there and back from the dugout because nothing happened at third base. O'Neil jumped up and offered to coach in Miller's place. The Dodgers promptly loaded the bases with one out. Herman then hit the ball off the right field wall for an easy double and tried to stretch it into a triple. Chick Fewster, who had been on first base, advanced to third – which was already occupied by

Dazzy Vance Charles Arthur "Dazzy" Vance (March 4, 1891 – February 16, 1961) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher for five different franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) in a career that spanned twenty years. Known for ...

, who had started from second base but got a slow start because he hadn't seen the hit well, became caught in a rundown between third and home, and was trying to get back to third. All three ended up on third base, with Herman not having watched the play in front of him. The third baseman,

Eddie Taylor Eddie Taylor (January 29, 1923 – December 25, 1985) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. Biography Born Edward Taylor in Benoit, Mississippi, as a boy Taylor taught himself to play the guitar. He spent his early years playing ...

, tagged everybody to be sure of getting as many outs as possible. The slow-footed Vance had been a major contributor to the situation, but he was the lead runner and not forced to advance, so according to the rules, he was entitled to the base, and umpire

Beans Reardon John Edward "Beans" Reardon (November 23, 1897 – July 31, 1984) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1926 to 1949. He worked five World Series and three All-Star Games. Early life and caree ...

called Herman and Fewster out, ending the inning. As third base coach, O'Neil also bore some blame for the situation. However,

Hank DeBerry John Herman DeBerry (December 29, 1894 in Savannah, Tennessee – September 10, 1951), was an American professional baseball player, and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball, most notably for the Brooklyn Robins during the 192 ...

, who had started the play as the runner on third, scored the game's winning run on the play before the daffiness started. O'Neil was later a coach for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

in 1930, a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1947 to 1948 and a minor league manager at various times from 1940 to 1955.

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References

1900 births 1964 deaths Major League Baseball catchers Brooklyn Robins players Boston Braves players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players New York Giants (NL) players Baseball players from St. Louis Minor league baseball managers Cleveland Indians coaches Pittsburgh Pirates scouts Alton Blues players Nashville Vols players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Rochester Hustlers players Toledo Mud Hens players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Shreveport Sports players Tyler Sports players Jackson Senators players Memphis Chickasaws players Jackson Mississippians players Jackson Generals (KITTY League) players Trois-Rivières Renards players Burials at Calvary Cemetery (St. Louis) {{US-baseball-catcher-1900s-stub