Steve O'Neill
After all these years, O'Neill remains the greatest catcher in Cleveland Indian history. He was one of the best defensive catchers of his time, and he caught at least 100 games for nine straight seasons (1915-1923), making him one of the most durable receivers of his era. Known more for his glove and arm than his bat, O'Neill did his share with the lumber in Cleveland's 1920 World Championship season, batting .321 in the regular season, and hitting .333 in the Fall Classic. Later, in 14 seasons as a manager, O'Neill never had a losing record, and won the World Series with Detroit in 1945. He guided his teams to second-place finishes three times, and third-place three times, despite a disciplinarian approach, tendency to fiddle with his lineup, and knack for playing hunches.
Played For
Cleveland Indians (1911-1923)
Boston Red Sox (1924)
New York Yankees (1925)
St. Louis Browns (1927-1928)
Managed
Cleveland Indians (1935-1937)
Detroit Tigers (1943-1948)
Boston Red Sox (1950-1951)
Philadelphia Phillies (1952-1954)
All-Time Rankings
Steve O'Neill ranks #13 among the Top 50 all-time at C. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1920
O'Neill batted .321 in 149 games, helping the Tribe to their first pennant. A patient hitter, he posted a .408 OBP. He also hit 39 doubles and had 15 sac hits. In the World Series win he batted .333 with three two-baggers.
Where He Played
Catcher
As a Manager
O'Neill replaced Walter Johnson as manager of the Indians on August 4, 1935, after Johnson had resigned... On June 20, 1950, O'Neill was hired to replace Joe McCarthy as Red Sox' manager. The BoSox responded by playing .663 ball (63-32) the remainder of the season, and gained 5 1/2 games in the standings.
Born
Stephen Francis O'Neill was born on July 6, 1891, in Minooka, PA.
Died
January 26, 1962, Cleveland, OH
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: C
Primary Team: CLE
Major League Debut
September 18, 1911
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1911
George Burns
Steve O'Neill
Pete Alexander
Ivy Olson
Tilly Walker
George Mogridge
Fred Toney
Hank Severeid
Ivey Wingo
Family Tree
His brothers were Jack, Jim and Mike O'Neill. They played a total of 549 games in the majors, with very little success.
Similar Players
Muddy Ruel and Rollie Hemsley as players; Billy Martin and Bobby Valentine as a manager.
Related Players
In our opinion, Walt Dropo's career may have been very different, had O'Neill not mishandled him in 1951.
Post-Season Appearances
1920 World Series
Notes
Finished sixth in 1922 American League Most Valuable Player voting.
Replaced
In 1950, in mid-season, O'Neill replaced Joe McCarthy as manager of the Red Sox. The team went 63-32 under O'Neill the rest of the way. It was the best success he ever had in Beantown.
Learn More about Steve O'Neill
Search Amazon.com for Books about Steve O'Neill ⇒
Search for Steve O'Neill at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
