Paul O'Neill (baseball player)
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| Position | Right Field |
| Teams | Cincinnati Reds 1985-1992
New York Yankees 1993-2001 |
| Years of Experience | 17 Years |
| Age | 43 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb. |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Left |
| College | Otterbein College |
| 2001 Salary | $7,250,000 |
| Place of Birth | Columbus, Ohio |
| Selection | Fourth round amateur draft, 1981 |
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Reds |
| Major League Debut | September 3, 1985 |
| Retired | 2001 |
Paul Andrew O'Neill (born February 25, 1963 in Columbus, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds (1987-1992) and New York Yankees (1993-2001).
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Youth and Cincinnati career
An Ohio native, O'Neill and his family were fans of the Reds. On a visit to the Reds' Crosley Field shortly before it closed, six-year-old Paul had his picture taken wearing a Reds batting helmet and holding a toy bat. Over his shoulder could be seen Roberto Clemente of the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates. Like Clemente, O'Neill would become a right fielder and wear uniform number 21.
O'Neill made his major-league debut on September 3, 1985, and singled in his first at-bat. In a 1989 game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium, O'Neill fielded a base hit, couldn't hold onto it, and kicked it, left-footed, back to the infield, to prevent baserunner Steve Jeltz from scoring. Jeltz scored on a wild pitch anyway, but the incident is remembered as one of the all-time baseball "bloopers," even though it turned out to be a good play.
Career with New York Yankees
On November 3, 1992, the Reds traded O'Neill to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly. In 1994, with O'Neill winning the batting title, the Yankees led the East division by six and a half games when a strike ended the season. The next season, the Yankees made the playoffs, and did so in every season remaining in O'Neill's career.
O'Neill famously was his own worst critic, seemingly never satisfied with his own performance and known for his emotion on the field; when disappointed with his performance or angry with an umpire's decision he would attack water coolers or toss bats on the field. His tirades were both praised and criticized by the media and fans.
O'Neill is fondly remembered by Yankee fans as the "heart and soul" of the team's dynasty in the 1990s.
O'Neill was a member of five world championship teams: Cincinnati Reds in 1990 and the New York Yankees in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Career as a Pre and Post Game Studio Analyst
O'Neill now serves as a Pre and Post Game Studio Analyst for the YES Network which is Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network. O'Neill started after he retired from baseball which was in 2001, now he is enjoying life off the field and in the booth analyzing and he is enjoying what he is doing.
Achievements and trivia
O'Neill's great-grandmother, Mary Clemens, was a first cousin of Samuel Clemens, alias Mark Twain. His sister, Molly O'Neill, is a restaurant critic for The New York Times.
In a 17 year career, O'Neill compiled a lifetime batting average of .288, 281 home runs, 1,269 runs batted in, and 2,105 hits.
O'Neill won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average. He was also a five-time All-Star, playing in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998.
O'Neill guest-starred as himself in a 1995 episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Wink." The storyline involved a parody of a scene from the 1942 Lou Gehrig biopic The Pride of the Yankees, in which Gehrig promises to hit two home runs in a single game to cheer up a crippled boy whom he visits in the hospital.
O'Neill is the only player in Major League Baseball history to have played on the winning side of three perfect games — pitched by Tom Browning in 1988, David Wells in 1998, and David Cone in 1999 — and is the oldest major leaguer to hit more than 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season, a feat he accomplished in 2001.
On October 27, 1999, O'Neill's father, Charles "Chick" O'Neill, died, between Games 3 and 4 of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves. O'Neill played in Game 4 and the Yankees completed their sweep. Chick had served as a paratrooper in World War II and pitched in the low-minor California League. Paul published Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir after his playing career ended.
As of 2005, O'Neill is a studio analyst for the YES Network.
An amateur drummer, O'Neill has performed onstage with John Mellencamp, and has played in charity tennis tournaments with Jim Courier.
Statistics
Height: 6-4 Weight: 215 Bats: L Throws: L Born: February 25, 1963, Columbus, OH College: Otterbein College (OH) Draft: None
Batting Last 3 years Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS 1999 NYY 153 597 70 170 39 4 19 110 66 89 11 9 .285 .353 .459 .812 2000 NYY 142 566 79 160 26 0 18 100 51 90 14 9 .283 .336 .424 .760 2001 NYY 137 510 77 136 33 1 21 70 48 59 22 3 .267 .330 .459 .789 Career 2053 7318 1041 2105 451 21 281 1269 892 1166 141 73 .288 .363 .470 .833
External links
Categories: 1963 births | Living people | 1991 National League All-Stars | 1994 American League All-Stars | 1995 American League All-Stars | 1997 American League All-Stars | 1998 American League All-Stars | 1990 Cincinnati Reds World Series Championship Team | 1996 New York Yankees World Series Championship Team | 1998 New York Yankees World Series Championship Team | 1999 New York Yankees World Series Championship Team | 2000 New York Yankees World Series Championship Team | Cincinnati Reds players | People from Columbus, Ohio | People from Ohio | Irish-Americans | Major league right fielders | New York Yankees players