Buck O'Neil, baseball player, Final season: 1949

Buck O'Neil

⭐ Hall of Fame 2022

Born: 11/13/1911 in Carrabelle, FL, USA

Died: 10/6/2006 in Kansas City, MO, USA

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: John Jordan O'Neil

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Biography

Buck O'Neil was a significant figure in baseball history, celebrated not only for his contributions on the field but also for his impact off the field as a pioneer for African American players. Born in 1911, O'Neil played during an era when racial segregation was entrenched in Major League Baseball. While his official playing statistics reflect no games played in the major leagues—0 games, 0 hits, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs, a batting average of 0.0, and 0 stolen bases—his legacy extends far beyond these numbers. O'Neil was a key player in the Negro Leagues, where he showcased his skills and leadership as a first baseman and manager, particularly with the Kansas City Monarchs. His career spanned from 1949 until his retirement, and he became an important advocate for the recognition of Negro League players in the broader narrative of baseball history. O'Neil's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 marked a long-overdue recognition of his contributions, both as a player and as an ambassador for the game, making him a beloved figure in baseball lore and a symbol of the fight for equality in sports.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3.7 6 2 0 0 2 4.91 0

Career ERA 4.91 vs. league average 4.34 across their career seasons — 13.2% worse 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
1937 MRS NAL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3.7 6 2 0 2 4.91 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
396 1434 227 368 55 24 12 184 57 127 0 0.257 0.319 0.354 0.672 -1361.1

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .319 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .354 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.672 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — 5.3% below 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
1937 MRS NAL 9 34 5 10 1 4 0 4 0 0 0 0.294 — — — — 0.0
1938 KCM NAL 45 152 29 38 9 3 3 23 11 17 0 0.250 .272 (-8%) .341 (-5%) .392 (+4%) .734 (avg) -31.7
1939 KCM NAL 48 162 19 30 5 4 1 24 3 16 0 0.185 .274 (-32%) .342 (-23%) .393 (-28%) .735 (-26%) -780.8
1940 KCM NAL 40 145 24 40 6 3 1 26 8 8 0 0.276 .267 (+3%) .335 (-6%) .387 (-2%) .722 (-4%) -139.4
1941 KCM NAL 40 161 21 37 4 3 0 12 6 8 0 0.230 .262 (-12%) .332 (-20%) .373 (-22%) .705 (-21%) -601.8
1942 KCM NAL 48 188 28 51 7 1 1 21 7 12 0 0.271 .253 (+7%) .323 (-3%) .349 (-4%) .672 (-3%) -124.7
1943 KCM NAL 42 155 21 44 4 0 1 16 4 10 0 0.284 .255 (+11%) .324 (+2%) .346 (-5%) .671 (-2%) -32.6
1946 KCM NAL 39 130 18 37 3 3 0 11 1 25 0 0.285 .256 (+11%) .328 (+22%) .358 (-1%) .687 (+10%) 301.6
1947 KCM NAL 60 218 54 62 15 3 5 36 15 24 0 0.284 .262 (+8%) .336 (+7%) .376 (+20%) .712 (+14%) 502.4
1948 KCM NAL 25 89 8 19 1 0 0 11 2 7 0 0.213 .263 (-19%) .340 (-20%) .379 (-41%) .719 (-31%) -454.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
22 79 11 27 2 3 2 9 3 4 0.342

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1948 ALC KCM 6 20 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.200
1946 NWS KCM 7 27 4 9 0 1 2 5 2 4 0.333
1942 NWS KCM 4 16 3 6 0 1 0 2 0 0 0.375
1939 ALC KCM 5 16 4 8 1 1 0 1 1 0 0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 378 372 3542 161 50 212
3B 3 3 2 3 0 0
OF 7 5 0 1 0 0
P 1 0 0 1 0 0
SS 2 1 4 3 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 MRS 1B 1 0 7 0 1 0
1937 MRS 3B 3 3 2 3 0 0
1937 MRS OF 5 3 0 1 0 0
1937 MRS P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1937 MRS SS 2 1 4 3 2 0
1938 KCM 1B 43 43 400 15 7 15
1938 KCM OF 1 1 0 0 0 0
1939 KCM 1B 46 45 426 22 5 33
1940 KCM 1B 40 40 372 11 5 24
1941 KCM 1B 40 40 390 16 4 20
1942 KCM 1B 48 48 458 18 9 20
1943 KCM 1B 41 41 387 21 5 25
1943 KCM OF 1 1 0 0 0 0
1946 KCM 1B 39 39 390 22 4 26
1947 KCM 1B 57 55 507 24 9 38
1948 KCM 1B 23 21 205 12 1 11

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 378
Third Base 3
Shortstop 2
Left Field 5
Right Field 2