John O'Rourke

John W. O'Rourke

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut May 1, 1879
• Final Game September 10, 1883
• Born August 23, 1849 in Bridgeport, CT USA
• Died June 23, 1911 in Boston, MA USA

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Biographical Information

John O'Rourke played three good seasons of major league baseball. He was the older brother of Jim O'Rourke and the uncle of Queenie O'Rourke.

John's first season was in 1879, at the age of 29, with the Boston Red Caps, where he hit .341 with a .521 slugging percentage. The batting average was fourth in the National League and the slugging percentage led the league. The Red Caps came in second.

The next year, 1880, he hit .275, exactly the same as his brother Jim O'Rourke, who played alongside in the Boston outfield. They were second to Charley Jones for the highest average among regulars on the team.

John had a dispute with the team about salary owed him in 1880, and finally in 1882 he received a settlement.

O'Rourke next came back to the majors in 1883, when he was with the New York Metropolitans of the American Association. His slugging percentage of .381 was best among the regulars.

Related Sites

• John O'Rourke at the SABR Bio Project