Tip O’Neill: America’s Favorite Baseball Player

Tip O’Neill was one of America’s Favorite Baseball Players A three-time All-Star, he played for the Boston Red Sox New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox He was a member of the famed “Murderers’ Row” Yankees teams of the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Early life and career

Joseph Patrick “Tip” O’Neill, Jr. was born on December 12, 1907, in St. Louis, Missouri, the eldest of nine children. His father was an Irish immigrant who worked as a masonry contractor. His mother was a native of County Kerry, Ireland. As a child, Tip played baseball and football in the streets of St. Louis. He attended Catholic schools and graduated from Catholic High School in 1926.

Tip began his professional baseball career with the minor league Kansas City Blues in 1930. He played for the Blues for three years before being called up to the Major Leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1933. He played for the Cardinals for two years before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1935. Tip spent eight seasons with the Red Sox winning two World Series championships with the team in 1915 and 1916.

Tip’s career came to an end after he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1944. He retired from baseball at the age of 37 due to injuries sustained during his playing career. After his retirement from baseball, Tip became active in politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts in 1952. He served in Congress for 34 years before retiring in 1986. Tip died on January 5, 1994, at the age of 86.

Major League career

O’Neill played his entire Major League career with the Boston Red Sox from 1991 to 2001. He was an integral part of the team’s offense during that time, hitting for a .288 batting average and averaging 24 home runs and 102 RBIs per season. He was a three-time All-Star and won the Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence in right field in 1994. O’Neill helped lead the Red Sox to the playoffs in 1995 and 1998, but they did not win the World Series during his time with the team.

Military service

After O’Neill graduated from high school in 1961, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps He served for four years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, before being honorably discharged in 1965.

Post-playing career

After his retirement from baseball, Tip O’Neill became involved in many different businesses. He was a Minor League manager and coach, and later served as a Major League Baseball scout. He also opened a Baseball Academy and worked as a commentator for radio and television broadcasts of Major League Baseball games. In addition to his baseball-related activities, O’Neill also owned a successful sporting goods store and was active in politics.

Personal life

Born Edward Thomas O’Neill in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on December 13, 1908, Tip O’Neill was one of four children born to Irish Catholic parents. His father worked as a policeman and his mother was a homemaker. After attending local schools, Tip O’Neill enrolled at Josiah Quincy School in Boston, where he excelled in both academics and athletics. A gifted student, he was awarded a scholarship to Harvard University but chose instead to pursue a career in baseball.

O’Neill began his professional career with the minor league Minneapolis Millers in 1928. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Millers organization, and by 1931 he was playing for the team’s Major League affiliate, the St. Louis Cardinals He would go on to play for the Cardinals for 15 years, becoming one of the team’s most popular players.

A gifted hitter and fielder, Tip O’Neill was named to the National League All-Star team eight times during his career. He helped lead the Cardinals to two World Series titles, in 1931 and 1934. He retired from baseball in 1947 with a .288 batting average 1,508 hits, and 202 home runs

After his retirement from baseball, Tip O’Neill remained active in sports as a broadcaster and public relations representative for the Cardinals organization. He also served as president of the Major League baseball players Association from 1957 to 1958. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Tip O’Neill died on September 21, 1969, at the age of 60.

Legacy

Tip O’Neill was one of America’s favorite baseball players He was a star hitter and fielder for the Boston Red Sox and later became one of the team’s most popular broadcasters. After his death in 2004, many people remembered him for his great sense of humor and his love of the game.

Quotes

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
-Babe Ruth

“There is no substitute for hard work ”
-Thomas Edison

“I didn’t come here to walk.”
-Ty Cobb

See also

See also:
-O’Neill, Tip (1887-1944), American Baseball player
-Tip O’Neill Award, annual award given by the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame

References

-Tip O’Neill Society (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tiponeillsociety.ca/tip-oneill-baseball-player/
-Grabiner, D. (2003). The cultural encyclopedia of baseball. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

External links

External links

-http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/oneilch01.shtml
-http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a7938b75
-https://www.baseballhall.org/hall-famers/oneill-tip