William D. "Darby" O'Brien (September 1, 1863 – June 15, 1893) was a Major League Baseball player in the late 19th century. He played outfield for the New York Metropolitans in 1887 and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms from 1888–1892. O'Brien developed lung problems during his playing career and continued to play, despite his ill health. When he reported to spring training for the 1893 season, the team found that he was too ill to play and sent him to Colorado to try to recover. They played a benefit game to raise money for him.[1]
| Darby O'Brien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: September 1, 1863 Peoria, Illinois | |
| Died: June 15, 1893 (aged 29) Peoria, Illinois | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 16, 1887, for the New York Metropolitans | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 15, 1892, for the Brooklyn Grooms | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .282 |
| Hits | 805 |
| Runs | 577 |
| Teams | |
In 709 games over six seasons, O'Brien posted a .282 batting average (805-for-2856) with 577 runs, 20 home runs, 394 runs batted in, 321 stolen bases and 231 bases on balls. He finished his career with a .933 fielding percentage.
O'Brien died later that year of typhoid fever at the age of 29.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Darby O'Brien's Benefit – About $5,000 Realized for the Dying Baseball Player" (PDF). New York Times. May 22, 1893. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ McNeil, William (September 2000). The Dodgers Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 9781582613161.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Baseball Almanac
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