O'Rourke, Jim (James H.)
Baseball
b. Aug. 24, 1850, Bridgeport, CT
d. Jan. 8, 1919
Called "Orator Jim" because of his eloquent speech, O'Rourke played every position at one time or another, but he was known as a hitter. When he was only sixteen, he began playing for a top semi-pro team, the Mansfields of Middletown, Connecticut. In 1872, the team entered the National Association, the first major professional league.
The Mansfields disbanded after that season and O'Rourke joined the Boston Red Stockings. The National League replaced the National Association in 1875. O'Rourke remained in Boston to play for its new NL team, and he got the first hit in the history of the league.
O'Rourke led the league with 68 runs scored and 20 walks in 1877. He went to the Providence Greys in 1879, then returned to Boston the following season and led the NL in home runs with 6. The Buffalo NL team signed O'Rourke as playing manager in 1881. He remained there through 1884, when he led the league with 162 hits, then joined the New York Giants.
When the Players' League was formed in 1890, O'Rourke played for its New York franchise, but the league lasted only one season and he returned to the Giants. He finished his career with the Washington NL team in 1893, though he returned to catch one game for the Giants in 1904, at the age of fifty-four.
Unlike most players of his era, O'Rourke saved his money and invested it wisely. He also received a law degree from Yale University while playing and he practiced law after leaving baseball.