Johnny O'Brien

For other people with the same name, seeJohn O'Brien.

Johnny O'Brien
O'Brien with 1960 Seattle Rainiers
Second Baseman/Pitcher
Born:(1930-12-11)December 11, 1930 South Amboy, New Jersey,U.S.
Batted:Right Threw:Right
MLB debut
April 19, 1953, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
July 19, 1959, for the Milwaukee Braves
MLB statistics
Batting average	.250
Home runs	4
Runs batted in	59
Win–loss record	1–3
Earned run average	5.61
Innings pitched	61
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates(1953;1955–1958) St. Louis Cardinals(1958) Milwaukee Braves(1959)

John Thomas O'Brien(born December 11, 1930) is a former backupsecond basemanandpitcherinMajor League Baseballwho played for thePittsburgh Pirates(1953, 1955–58),St. Louis Cardinals(1958) andMilwaukee Braves(1959). O'Brien batted and threw right-handed. His twin brother,Eddie,was also a major leagueinfielder.

O'Brien attended Saint Mary's High School in South Amboy (since renamed asCardinal McCarrick High School), where he had been inducted into the school's sports hall of fame.

O'Brien attendedSeattle University,where he played on the basketball team for the Chieftains (along with his brother Eddie) and scored 43 points in a stunning 84–81 upset over theHarlem Globetrotterson January 21, 1952.In 1953, O'Brien became the first player inNCAAhistory to score 1,000 points in a season.O'Brien would be the shortest NCAA All-American player to be named until 2016 when the similarly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)Tyler UlisofKentuckywas named a member of the first team. Later he and Eddie were drafted by theNBA'sMilwaukee Hawksin 1953, but the twins never played in the NBA.

In a six-season career, O'Brien was a.250hitter(204-for-815) with fourhome runsand 59RBIin 339games played.From 1956 to 1958, he also doubled as a pitcher, appearing in 25 games (all but one inrelief) and 61innings,surrendering 61hits,walking30 andstriking out35. He lost three of four decisions (.250) with anearned run averageof 5.61.

While in Pittsburgh, Johnny and Eddie O'Brien became the first twins in major league history to play for the same team in the same game.They are also one of only four brother combinations to play second base/shortstop on the same major league club. The others areGarvinandGranny Hamner,for thePhiladelphia Philliesin 1945;FrankandMilt Bolling,with theDetroit Tigersin 1958, andBillyandCal Ripken,for theBaltimore Oriolesduring the 1980s.

In retirement, O'Brien worked variously as a city councilman inSeattle,asportscasterofSeattle University basketballgames along withKeith Jackson,the head of security, sales and promotions at theKingdomeand an energy consultant for the Alaskan shipping industry.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orBaseball Reference,orBaseball Reference (Minors)
• Johnny O'Brien- Baseballbiography
• Retrosheet