Ken O'Dea, baseball player, 1935-1946

Ken O'Dea

Born: 3/16/1913 in Lima, NY, USA

Died: 12/17/1985 in Lima, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1935-04-21 | Final Game: 1946-08-06

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: James Kenneth O'Dea

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Biography

Ken O'Dea was a professional baseball player born in 1913 who enjoyed a solid career spanning from 1935 to 1946. Known primarily for his role as a position player, O'Dea appeared in 832 games over his career, accumulating 560 hits and 40 home runs. He recorded 323 RBIs and finished with a batting average of .255. Though often overshadowed by larger stars of his era, O'Dea made a notable impact on the field and was selected as an All-Star once during his career, highlighting his skills and contributions to the teams he played for. O'Dea's playing career unfolded during a transformative time in Major League Baseball, witnessing the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-friendly environment that characterized the late 1930s and early 1940s. Despite the challenges of competing against some of the game's legends, O'Dea carved out a respectable niche for himself, known for his steady play and resilience. With three stolen bases to his credit, while not primarily recognized for speed, he showcased a well-rounded approach to the game that contributed to his teams' successes during his active years. O'Dea's legacy endures as a reflection of the hard-working players of his generation, who contributed to the rich history of baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
832 2195 262 560 101 20 40 323 3 273 251 0.255 0.338 0.374 0.712 512.8

Career AVG .255 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .338 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .374 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.712 vs. league average 0.711 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
1935 CHC NL 76 202 30 52 13 2 6 38 0 26 18 0.257 .279 (-8%) .342 (+1%) .399 (+8%) .742 (+5%) 176.1
1936 CHC NL 80 189 36 58 10 3 2 38 0 38 18 0.307 .283 (+8%) .349 (+21%) .404 (+5%) .753 (+12%) 587.2
1937 CHC NL 83 219 31 66 7 5 4 32 1 24 26 0.301 .276 (+9%) .342 (+8%) .398 (+9%) .740 (+9%) 367.1
1938 CHC NL 86 247 22 65 12 1 3 33 1 12 18 0.263 .272 (-4%) .341 (-13%) .392 (-9%) .734 (-11%) -563.1
1939 NY1 NL 52 97 7 17 1 0 3 11 0 10 16 0.175 .274 (-36%) .342 (-26%) .393 (-29%) .735 (-28%) -484.4
1940 NY1 NL 48 96 9 23 4 1 0 12 0 16 15 0.240 .267 (-10%) .335 (+4%) .387 (-22%) .722 (-10%) -123.3
1941 NY1 NL 59 89 13 19 5 1 3 17 0 8 20 0.213 .262 (-19%) .332 (-16%) .373 (+5%) .705 (-5%) -108.3
1942 STL NL 58 192 22 45 7 1 5 32 0 17 23 0.234 .253 (-7%) .323 (-8%) .349 (+3%) .672 (-3%) -111.5
1943 STL NL 71 203 15 57 11 2 3 25 0 19 25 0.281 .255 (+10%) .324 (+6%) .346 (+15%) .671 (+11%) 358.6
1944 STL NL 85 265 35 66 11 2 6 37 1 37 29 0.249 .261 (-5%) .325 (+5%) .357 (+4%) .683 (+5%) 297.6
1945 STL NL 100 307 36 78 18 2 4 43 0 50 31 0.254 .260 (-3%) .328 (+9%) .354 (+3%) .683 (+6%) 442.4
1946 STL NL 22 57 2 7 2 0 1 3 0 8 8 0.123 .256 (-52%) .328 (-30%) .358 (-41%) .687 (-36%) -325.7
1946 BSN NL 12 32 4 7 0 0 0 2 0 8 4 0.219 — — — — -325.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
10 13 1 6 0 0 1 6 1 0 0.462

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1944 WS SLN 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.333
1943 WS SLN 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.667
1942 WS SLN 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.000
1938 WS CHN 3 5 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0.200
1935 WS CHN 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 627 0 2450 336 48 44

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1935 CHN C 63 0 213 27 9 3
1936 CHN C 55 0 211 27 5 1
1937 CHN C 64 0 234 29 4 4
1938 CHN C 71 0 294 32 10 3
1939 NY1 C 30 0 78 11 5 1
1940 NY1 C 31 0 89 29 1 1
1941 NY1 C 14 0 62 9 0 0
1942 SLN C 49 0 247 37 6 6
1943 SLN C 56 0 237 32 3 6
1944 SLN C 69 0 326 34 2 4
1945 SLN C 91 0 321 50 2 14
1946 SLN C 22 0 99 14 1 0
1946 BSN C 12 0 39 5 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 620