Jimmy O'Connell
Encyclopedia
James Joseph O'Connell was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
.
. He started his professional baseball career in the Pacific Coast League
at the age of 18. Playing for the San Francisco Seals, O'Connell batted over .330 in 1921 and 1922; he was then purchased by the New York Giants
for $75,000 (which was a lot of money in those days). He served as a backup outfielder for the Giants in 1923 and 1924.
In the final series of the 1924 season, the Giants were playing the Philadelphia Phillies
at the Polo Grounds
and battling for the pennant with the Brooklyn Dodgers
. O'Connell offered Phillies shortstop Heinie Sand
$500 to throw the games. Sand rejected the bribe and reported it to Phillies manager Art Fletcher
. It eventually led to the life-time suspension of O'Connell and Giants coach Crazy Dolan by Commissioner Landis
, although future-Hall of Famers Frankie Frisch
, George Kelly, and Ross Youngs
were also implicated.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Biography
O'Connell was born in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. He started his professional baseball career in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
at the age of 18. Playing for the San Francisco Seals, O'Connell batted over .330 in 1921 and 1922; he was then purchased by the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for $75,000 (which was a lot of money in those days). He served as a backup outfielder for the Giants in 1923 and 1924.
In the final series of the 1924 season, the Giants were playing the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
and battling for the pennant with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. O'Connell offered Phillies shortstop Heinie Sand
Heinie Sand
John Henry "Heinie" Sand was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1923 to 1928 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He debuted on April 17, and played his final game on September 30, . In 1925, he had a .364 on base percentage and 55 runs batted in and was 18th in the voting...
$500 to throw the games. Sand rejected the bribe and reported it to Phillies manager Art Fletcher
Art Fletcher
Arthur Fletcher was an American shortstop, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. Fletcher was associated with two New York City baseball dynasties: the Giants of John McGraw as a player; and the Yankees of Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy as a coach.Born in Collinsville, Illinois, Fletcher...
. It eventually led to the life-time suspension of O'Connell and Giants coach Crazy Dolan by Commissioner Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
, although future-Hall of Famers Frankie Frisch
Frankie Frisch
Francis “Frankie” Frisch , nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American Major League Baseball player of the early twentieth century....
, George Kelly, and Ross Youngs
Ross Youngs
Ross Middlebrook Youngs was a Major League Baseball outfielder best known for his superb defense and consistent hitting....
were also implicated.