Raised in Chicago, O’Day was the middle child of seven kids born to Irish immigrants. He took an interest in baseball during his school years, but his father disapproved of the sport, referring to it as a “frivolous pastime.” Because of this, O’Day and his brothers played sandlot ball under a pseudonym.
O’Day worked as a steamfitter’s apprentice before moving to California to play for St. Mary’s College. A pitcher of moderate talent, he joined the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association in 1884. Catcher Deacon McGuire said of O’Day’s abilities: “He was crafty and had a world of stuff, but he threw the heaviest and hardest ball I ever caught. It was like lead and it came at me like a shell from a cannon.” To protect his hands, McGuire adopted the practice of placing slabs of raw meat inside his gloves.
In the thick of a pennant race, the New York Giants purchased O’Day’s contract from the Washington Senators in 1898. O’Day won 9 games for the New Yorkers down the stretch, helping them to their first NL championship. In those days, the World Series was just an exhibition. In a best-of-eleven format, the Giants faced the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, winners of the American Association pennant, to determine the best team in baseball. O’Day pitched brilliantly, going 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 3 appearances as the Giants won the Series. He spent one more season at the major league level before his arm went dead.
During his playing career, O’Day served as a substitute umpire on several occasions. In 1895, he was hired by the National League. He appeared in 75 games that year, including one that could have caused him serious harm. After the Senators dropped a tough match to Cleveland, a mob of angry fans surrounded O’Day. He was pulled into the dressing room by Washington manager Gus Schmelz and placed under police protection. On the way out of the stadium, he was pelted with bricks and assorted projectiles.
Over the course of his career, O’Day suffered multiple head wounds and a broken toe as a result of being hit by foul balls. The stress of umpiring also led to serious stomach problems that kept him out of action for a full season. Referring to the many traumas experienced by O’Day, AL counterpart Silk O’Loughlin once said: “Look at O’Day. He’s one of the best umpires, maybe the best today, but he’s sour. Umpiring does something to you. The abuse you get from the players, the insults from the crowds, and the awful things they write about you in the newspapers take their toll.”
O’Day was a quiet recluse with few interests outside of baseball. A writer from Baseball Magazine once joked that O’Day had never cracked a smile during his entire career. And another source described him as a “strange character who lived in a shell, emerging only when he visited the field to render his decisions.” One of those decisions was among the most controversial in baseball history.
In 1908, the Giants and Cubs became embroiled in a tight pennant race. During a game between the two clubs on September 23, New York’s Moose McCormick scored on a walk-off single by Al Bridwell. Rookie infielder Fred Merkle, who was on first base, failed to touch second on the play, peeling off toward the Giants’ clubhouse instead. This was a common practice in those days, but it didn’t sit well with Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers, who tagged the bag and appealed to O’Day that the run shouldn’t count. Remarkably, the veteran arbiter upheld Evers’ protest, erasing the run. When the two teams remained tied at the end of the regular season, a replay of the “Merkle Game” was necessary. The Cubs won, capturing the pennant and, later, the World Series.
Another dramatic on-field moment for O’Day occurred in 1898, when Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis caught fire during a game he was umpiring. The blaze quickly swept through the grandstand, endangering thousands of fans. Maintaining his composure throughout, O’Day was among the men who created a makeshift escape chute using the players’ benches. Hundreds of fans slid down the chute and were escorted to safety.
After leaving his umpiring job in 1927, O’Day worked as a scout. He also served in an advisory capacity to the NL. In 1935, he fell ill with bronchial pneumonia and died. He passed away shortly before his seventy-sixth birthday. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.
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