2. STEVE O’NEILL (1911-23)
Steve O’Neill, a superb defensive catcher and pesky hitter, made his big league debut during the summer that he turned 20, playing nine games for the Cleveland Naps. The team was named after Hall of Famer Napoleon Lajoie, who was Cleveland’s second baseman from 1902-14 and its manager from 1905-09. The team became known as the Indians in 1915.
O’Neill shared the Naps’ catching duties from 1912-14, playing an average of 79 games a season. He became the regular in 1915, beginning a nine-year stretch with the Indians in which he averaged 124 games played, including 122 at catcher.
A right-handed hitter, O’Neill played in 1,365 games for Cleveland before he was traded to the Red Sox prior to the 1924 season. His 1,340 games caught are the second-most in team history. With Cleveland, O’Neill hit .265 with 220 doubles, 33 triples and 11 homers in 4,182 at bats. He totaled 458 RBI and 394 runs and drew 491 walks. Those were pretty solid offensive numbers considering that the bulk of O’Neill’s Cleveland career was during the “deadball era” — when a variety of factors made baseball a lower-scoring game than it would soon become — and that catchers weren’t expected to provide much offense.
With the Naps/Indians, O’Neill threw out 47 percent of baserunners attempting to steal, compared to the league average of about 44 percent.
O’Neill had a banner season in 1920, when the Indians went 98-56 to win the American League pennant and defeated the Brooklyn Robins, five games to two, in the best-of-nine World Series. He hit .321 with 39 doubles, five triples and three homers in 489 at bats, with 55 RBI, 63 runs and 69 walks. O’Neill caught 148 of the 154 games, including 145 starts.
O’Neill hit .333 (7-of-21) in the World Series, with three doubles, two RBI and four walks. He had a pair of RBI doubles in the Indians’ 3-1 series-opening win at Brooklyn. His expert work behind the plate helped pitchers Duster Mails and Stan Coveleski close out the series with Games 6 (1-0 win) and 7 (3-0 win) shutouts, respectively, in Cleveland.
In 1922, O’Neill was sixth in the Most Valuable Player voting, as he batted .311 in 392 at bats, with 27 doubles, four triples, two homers, 65 RBI and 73 walks.
With Cleveland, O’Neill led the AL in games caught twice, and was first among catchers in double plays five times and in assists twice.
O’Neill’s 17-year playing career ended in 1928. He began a 14-year big league managing career when he replaced pitching legend Walter Johnson during the 1935 season with the Indians holding a 46-48 record. O’Neill guided Cleveland to a 36-23 record the rest of the way and a third-place finish in the 8-team AL. He managed the Indians two more years, going 80-74 (fifth place) in 1936 and 83-71 (fourth) in 1937. O’Neill managed the Tigers to the World Series championship in 1945.
O’Neill is not to be confused with Francis J. “Steve” O’Neill, the Indians’ principal owner from 1978-83.
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