Rooney Sweeney, baseball player, 1883-1885

Rooney Sweeney

Born: 11/1/1858 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 10/26/1924 in New York, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1883-07-25 | Final Game: 1885-06-09

Height: 5'8" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: John J. Sweeney

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Rooney Sweeney was a professional baseball player born in 1858, who made his mark in the sport during the 1880s. He played from July 25, 1883, until June 9, 1885, primarily taking on the role of a position player. Over the course of his brief career, Sweeney appeared in 76 games, accumulating 64 hits and recording a batting average of .215. Although he did not hit any home runs or drive in any runs, his contributions on the field were notable during an era that was characterized by the early development of baseball as a professional sport. Sweeney's time in baseball coincided with a pivotal period in the game's history, as it transitioned from the more informal play of the 19th century to a more organized and commercialized sport. While he may not have achieved the statistical milestones of some of his contemporaries, Sweeney's participation in the league reflects the growing popularity of baseball during this era. His career, although short-lived, is a testament to the many players who laid the groundwork for future generations in the evolving landscape of American baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
76 298 51 64 12 3 0 0 0 19 4 0.215 0.262 0.275 0.537 -392.4

Career AVG .215 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.

Career OBP .262 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 7.5% below league average.

Career SLG .275 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 16.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.537 vs. league average 0.614 across their career seasons — 12.6% 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
1883 BL2 AA 25 101 13 21 5 2 0 0 0 4 0 0.208 .257 (-19%) .285 (-17%) .345 (-14%) .631 (-15%) -233.8
1884 BLU UA 48 186 37 42 7 1 0 0 0 15 0 0.226 .243 (-7%) .278 (+2%) .327 (-16%) .606 (-8%) -158.6
1885 SL5 NL 3 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.091 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
C 57 0 309 101 43 3
OF 21 0 18 3 12 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1883 BL2 C 23 0 97 40 19 2
1883 BL2 OF 3 0 4 2 0 1
1884 BLU 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1884 BLU C 33 0 207 59 24 1
1884 BLU OF 16 0 11 1 11 0
1885 SL5 C 1 0 5 2 0 0
1885 SL5 OF 2 0 3 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 57
Third Base 1
Left Field 1
Center Field 7
Right Field 13