Billy O'Brien, baseball player, 1884-1890

Billy O'Brien

Born: 3/14/1860 in Albany, NY, USA

Died: 5/26/1911 in Kansas City, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-09-27 | Final Game: 1890-08-12

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: William Smith O'Brien

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Biography

Billy O'Brien was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1860, whose career spanned from 1884 to 1890. He made his mark during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the evolution of pitching styles and the increasing popularity of the sport. O'Brien played in an era when the game was shifting away from the deadball style, and pitchers were beginning to experiment with different techniques to gain an advantage on the mound. Throughout his brief but notable career, O'Brien achieved a record of 1-0, showcasing his effectiveness with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 1.8. He recorded 7 strikeouts, demonstrating his ability to challenge hitters effectively, although he did not register any saves during his tenure. Despite a limited number of appearances, O'Brien's performance contributed to the competitive landscape of the late 19th-century baseball, a time when the game was beginning to lay the groundwork for future generations of players. His contributions, though modest in terms of statistics, reflect the spirit of perseverance and skill that defined the early days of America's pastime.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 0 2 0 0 0 0 10.0 8 2 0 3 7 1.80 0

Career ERA 1.80 vs. league average 3.11 across their career seasons — 42.1% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1884 SPU UA 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 10.0 8 2 3 7 1.80 3.11 (+42%) 83.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
356 1424 164 364 59 22 32 206 26 59 88 0.256 0.289 0.395 0.684 416.3

Career AVG .256 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .289 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.

Career SLG .395 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — +14.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.684 vs. league average 0.659 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1884 SPU UA 8 30 1 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.233 — — — — 0.0
1884 KCU UA 4 17 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.235 — — — — 0.0
1887 WS8 NL 113 453 71 126 16 12 19 73 11 21 17 0.278 .270 (+3%) .331 (-4%) .373 (+32%) .705 (+15%) 1056.0
1888 WS8 NL 133 528 42 119 15 2 9 66 10 9 70 0.225 .238 (-6%) .290 (-18%) .319 (-2%) .610 (-10%) -1082.2
1889 WS8 NL 2 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1890 BR4 AA 96 388 47 108 25 8 4 67 5 28 0 0.278 .260 (+7%) .336 (-1%) .351 (+18%) .687 (+9%) 442.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 335 0 3482 100 94 174
2B 2 0 1 5 0 0
3B 16 0 17 29 10 0
OF 4 0 7 3 0 0
P 2 0 0 4 3 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 SPU 3B 8 0 7 14 4 0
1884 SPU P 2 0 0 4 3 1
1884 KCU 1B 1 0 17 1 0 0
1884 KCU 3B 3 0 1 9 4 0
1887 WS8 1B 104 0 1159 26 32 53
1887 WS8 2B 2 0 1 5 0 0
1887 WS8 3B 4 0 8 5 2 0
1887 WS8 OF 4 0 7 3 0 0
1888 WS8 1B 132 0 1272 38 33 55
1888 WS8 3B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1889 WS8 1B 2 0 19 0 0 0
1890 BR4 1B 96 0 1015 35 29 66

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 2
First Base 335
Second Base 2
Third Base 16
Left Field 1
Center Field 3