Jack Hannahan, who is proud of his Irish heritage, played third base for the Cleveland Indians from 2011-2012.
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With St Patrick’s Day right around the corner; and the start of the Major League Baseball season only 21 days away , I thought this might be a good time to highlight some of America’s greatest passions: baseball and St Paddy’s Day, with a special concentration on baseball players with strong Irish roots.
Facts, Feats, and Historic Firsts
- On March 17, 1871 (St. Patrick's Day), the National Association of Professional Baseball Players became baseball's first all-professional league in a saloon called, fittingly enough, “Collier's Café” on the corner of Broadway and Thirteenth Street in New York City.
- By the 1880's, Irish immigrants and first-generation Irish-Americans comprised between 33 and 41 percent of professional rosters.
- Of the more than 16,000 players to appear in the major league since 1876, 38 were born in Ireland, while hundreds more have been of Irish descent.
- Andy Leonard (County Cavan), who was born during the Potato Famine, was the first Irish-born major leaguer, making his debut with the Washington Olympics of the old National Association in 1871.
- According to the Baseball Almanac, 43 MLB players were born in Ireland:
- More than two dozen sons of Irish immigrants, who played in the 1880-1920 period, are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
New York Giants manager John McGraw (on left) and Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack, two Irish-Americans, shake hands before the start of the 1911 World Series.
Photo Credit: Phillysportshistory.com
- In the first quarter of the 20th century, 11 of the 16 major league managers possessed Irish roots, including John McGraw and Connie Mack (born Cornelius Alexander McGillcuddy); both were sons of Irish immigrants.
- The last Irish-born player to take the field in a game was Joe Cleary. He pitched in only one game , giving up seven earned runs in a third of an inning for the Washington Nationals against the Boston Red Sox in 1945.
- Roger Conner, (son of Irish immigrants) called "Dear Old Roger'' by fans, was a power hitting Hall of Fame first baseman for the New York Giants, who was so proud of his Irish ancestry that he had a shamrock stitched to his uniform.
- Irish pitchers, Jim (Pud) Galvin and Tim Keefe , were the first two major leaguers to win 300 games.
- On May 12, 1912, the New York Giants donated proceeds of ticket sales to the Irish Relief Fund to aid the rebellion in Great Britain.
- "Big" Ed Walsh carried a lifetime ERA of 1.82, the lowest of all time. Walsh is additionally the last pitcher to win 40 games in a season (1908).
- American writer Ernest Thayer who wrote the baseball poem, “Casey at Bat” in 1888, said he chose the name "Casey" after a non-player of Irish ancestry he once knew. The first recorded version of "Casey at the Bat" was made by Russell Hunting, speaking in a thick Irish accent in 1893, in which the Mudville Nine, including "Flynn" and "Jimmy Blake" lose when "Mighty Casey" strikes out.
- The original lyrics of the Tin Pan Alley song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (the unofficial anthem at baseball games, beginning in 1934) composed by Jack Norworth in 1908, underscores the central character, Katie Casey, an Irish woman and a dyed-in-the-wool baseball fan. The song, was an instant hit, jumping to number one on the charts for seven weeks and was sung at movie theaters and in vaudeville shows. Norworth in 1927, however, reworked the song and removed the lyrics mentioning Katie Casey.
- There’s a pub in New York City that calls itself the home of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame, which recognizes players, managers, executives, journalists, and entertainers of Irish descent who have significantly and positively impacted the game of baseball. They also maintain a Facebook Page.
- Many of the biggest stars at the turn of the 20th century were either immigrants or their descendants, including Michael “King” Kelly , Roger Connor (Home Run King before Babe Ruth), Eddie Collins , “Big” Ed Walsh and managers Connie Mack and John McGraw.
- ''Henry Cooke McIlveen, nicknamed "Irish" is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1906 and the New York Highlanders in 1908-1909.'' He was born in Belfast, Ireland.
- Patsy Donovan was considered the most successful Irish-born major leaguer, having played the most games with a .300 lifetime batting average and stealing 518 bases. He was also instrumental in bringing Babe Ruth to the Boston Sox in 1914 through his association with one of the Xaverian Brothers who coached Ruth at a Baltimore orphans' home.
- In 1887, 11 players carried batting averages of .400 or more, including James "Tip" O'Neill who led the American Association (AA) with a .435 average.
- In the 1890s, the Baltimore Orioles (NL) were managed by Ned Hanlon , a team comprised of mostly Irish Americans who innovated the "Baltimore Chop," which involved hitting the ball sharply into the ground, forcing the fielder to wait for the ball for so long that it enabled the batter enough time to reach base safely.
- Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley was famous for holding an annual St Patrick's Day bash in Vero Beach. where the Dodgers trained during Spring Training. Invited guests included club officials, press reporters, and players featuring green beer and green whiskey at McKee's Jungle Gardens.
- In 1962 on St. Patrick's Day in Fort Lauderdale, New York Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra, was honored as "Irishman of the Day" at an Emerald Club breakfast, a day in which he was reportedly decked in a green coat, green vest, and green hat.
Dressed as a leprechaun, Tedi Valentine of Cape Coral, Fla. talked to fans as Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz taped No. 15, Dustin Pedroia's number, on his back. The Red Sox wore green uniforms Tuesday in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Photo Credit: AP
- On St. Patrick's Day in 2004, the Boston Red Sox wore green jerseys for the first time in team history, when they took on the Cleveland Indians at Fort Myers. Previously, in 1991, the Sox donned green hats and played with green bases.
- In 2006, "The Emerald Diamond" was released, a documentary film which followed the history of Baseball in Ireland and the Irish national baseball team.
- September 5, 2014, on "Irish Heritage Night" at the Great American Ball Park, the Cincinnati Reds wore green uniforms.
Former Boston Red Sox flamethrower, Jonathan Papelbon (2005-2011), became an instant fan favorite for performing the Riverdance
- According to Baseball Reference , 43 Major League Players were born on St Patrick's Day, including Paddy Mayes (1885) and Danny Ainge (1959).
- Tim Ireland, was a former major leaguer for the Kansas City Royals, appearing in 11 games over two seasons (1981-82).
- There were 25 Major League Players with the last name, Green; 12 named Greene.
- Donnybrook Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote on July 25, 2004: "And now they'll have Varitek dope-slapping A-Rod, triggering a donnybrook worthy of last October's playoff mano a mano featuring Pedro and Don Zimmer. " The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘Donnybrook’ as ‘scene of uproar and disorder; a riotous or uproarious meeting, a heated argument’.
Word Origin: The Donnybrook Fair was held in Donnybrook (a suburb of Dublin), Ireland from the 13th century until the 1850s, an event especially noted for its lively brawls.
Source: Irish America Magazine, Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Major League Baseball Press Office, IrishCentral
--Bill Lucey
March 7, 2018
Bill: Great reading list.
No Irish-born player since 1945?
What about players with Irish passports? (like me)
Then again, Ty Kelly plays for Israel, via his mom.
Roger Connor -- most home runs before Babe Ruth. His manager referred to "my Giants!" Hence I understand the fierce and annoying loyalty of two almost-uncles with Irish names who ragged me in 1951 and 1954 and whenever the Giants beat the Dodgers.
Enjoy the day.
George
Posted by: George Vecsey | 03/08/2018 at 09:26 AM