Steve O’Neill
| Birthdate | 7/6/1891 |
| Death Date | 01/26/1962 |
| Debut Year | 1919 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Browns, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees |
| Positions | Catcher, Manager |
Steve O’Neill managed fourteen years in the big leagues for four teams; all had winning records. His 1945 Tigers were World Champs.
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Manager of the 1945 World Champs, Steve O'Neill's led his teams to a winning record in all 14 of his seasons as manager
Manager of the 1945 World Champs, Steve O'Neill's led his teams to a winning record in all 14 of his seasons as manager
A big league player for 17 years, Steve O’Neill played catcher for four different clubs — the Indians, Browns, Red Sox and Yankees. After retiring as a player in 1928, O’Neill turned to managing.
O’Neill became a minor league player/manager in 1929. In 1932 he became a player/coach for the Toledo H the Triple-A affiliate of the Indians. In 1934 Indians manager Walter Johnson needed a pitching coach and promoted O’Neill.
In 1935 Cleveland started the season 46-48 before firing Johnson. O’Neill took the reigns and led the Indians to a 36-23 record the rest of the way. In three years at the helm of the Tribe, O’Neill led them to a 199-168 record.
O’Neill went on to manage four clubs including the 1945 World Champion Tigers. His time as a skipper lasted 14 seasons. In each of them, O’Neill’s teams posted a winning record.
His overall record as a pilot stands at 1,040-821. His .559 winning percentage is greater than that of Hall of Fame managers Walter Alston, Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Leo Durocher, Whitey Herzog, Tony LaRussa, Tommy Lasorda, Sparky Anderson, Casey Stengel, and others.
In the collection is an original vintage photograph of O’Neill in an a Cleveland uniform. The picture is adorned with O’Neill’s bold fountain pen signature.
Steve O'Neill's 1945 Tigers won the World Series behind MVP pitcher Hal Newhouser
Steve O'Neill's 1945 Tigers won the World Series behind MVP pitcher Hal Newhouser
Steve O’Neill’s teams posted a winning record in each of his 14 seasons as manager. The highlight of his career came in 1945 when he guided the Tigers to the World Series title.
Hal Newhouser led the Detroit staff by going 25-9 with a 1.81 ERA. Prince Hal won the MVP for the second straight season. The Tigers beat the Senators by 1 1/2 games in the regular season then beat the Cubs in a thrilling 7-game Series.
In the collection is this handwritten letter on Detroit Tigers letterhead written eight months after Steve O’Neill helped guide them to a World Series victory.
Never a star as a player, O’Neill’s managerial exploits remain largely forgotten. With a 1911 debut as a player and a 1954 managerial retirement, O’Neill’s 1962 death date make his signature fairly scarce.
