HISTORY

James 'Orator' O'Rourke

Jim O'Rourke(Left) and his son
James Stephen O’Rourke (Right)

Toward the end of an illustrious Hall of Fame career, Jim
'Orator' O’Rourke became a player, manager, owner for the
city’s professional baseball club, the Bridgeport Orators
appearing in 913 games.

During the 15 years he owned the
Orators, O'Rourke managed all but 12 of
their games. The Orators called Newfield
Park on Newfield Avenue their home.
They won the 1904 pennant setting a
League record with 71 wins and an
impressive 275 team batting average.

At over fifty years old, O'Rourke had played a total of 21 major league
seasons winning a batting title in 1884 and holds the honor of
recording the National Leagues first ever hit. He was an outspoken
and strong advocate of players rights and he played a significant role
in advancing the game into the 20th century. Today his memory lives
on at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and through the hard work of
organizations such as the First Hit Inc.

HISTORY

If you would like to learn more about the
origins of our national pastime, the history
of baseball in Bridgeport and the life of Jim
'Orator' O'Rourke, we recommend the
following books:

Bridgeport Baseball
Images of Baseball Series
by Mike Bielawa

Orator O'Rourke: The
Life of A Baseball Radical
by Mike Roer

Born: August 24, 1852, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Died: January 8, 1919, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Batted: right
Threw: right
Played for: Middletown Mansfields, Boston Red Stockings, Boston
Red Caps, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, New York Giants,
New York Giants (PL), Washington Senators (NL)
Elected to Hall of Fame by Committee on Baseball Veterans: 1945

Jim 'Orator' O'Rourke -
Old Judge Cigarettes Card

Did you know ... that when Jim O'Rourke took the field as catcher for the New York Giants on
September 22, 1904, he set a still-unbroken record for the oldest player ever to play in the
National League?

James Henry O’Rourke was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 1, 1850
O’Rourke played Major League ball from 1872 - 1893 posting a lifetime .311 batting
average (he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945)
Fiercely proud of his Irish heritage James refused to drop

the “O” from his last name when signed by Boston in 1873. (Before signing his $800 a
season contract with the Red Stockings, O'Rourke was quoted as saying "I would rather
die than give up my father's name. A million dollars would not tempt me.")

O’Rourke got the first hit in the first game in the National League, April 22, 1876
James O’Rourke and his brother John were the first brothers to play on the same ML
team (1880)
O’Rourke was nicknamed “The Orator”due to his clever and robust use of the English
language.
O’Rourke is the first man to have played Major League ball in 4 different decades: the
1870s, 1880s, 1890s and one game in 1904 (at the age of 54!)