Michael J. Daly, retired editor of the Connecticut Post Opinion pages, pens this poignant piece about Bridgeport baseball legend James O’Rourke, a member of the Hall of Fame, lawyer and philanthropist, who’s making a historic return to his old neighborhood at the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment area. For more on O’Rourke’s background see here.
From Daly:
Jim O’Rourke’s old neighborhood looks a lot different than it did in the late 19th century: the forlorn house where he lived is gone; a Starbucks and a Bass Pro Shops outlet stand, a 450-unit housing complex is under construction and a new hotel is on its way.
In his sleek third-floor office in the Dockmaster building on Bridgeport harbor in the Steelpointe development area, Bob Christoph Jr. points out where a new hotel will soon break ground and where further development will take place on what used to be Baseball Hall of Famer James Henry O’Rourke’s old stomping grounds.
It’s part of Christoph’s grand plan to bring Mister O’Rourke, as he calls him — or at least his life-sized bronze likeness — back to these grounds next year.
…On a recent beautiful early spring morning, Christoph, 47, pointed to a spot on a Steelpointe map that shows the location of a street that will be called O’Rourke Court. It is there, he said, the O’Rourke statue will be installed in summer 2026, if all goes as planned.
“Court,” he said, “is in testament to his career as a lawyer.” Indeed, as part of O’Rourke’s contract one year, he secured the benefit of the New York Giants paying for him to go to Yale Law School.
Christoph flashes a big smile. “I’m a promoter of Bridgeport and O’Rourke has done a lot for this city.”
Full story here
I don’t know people, Port this kind of comes off like a hit piece on the Developer, Bob Christoph Jr from what I have said is a coded Liberal rag media paper. 🙂
The use of descripted words like “sleek” rich “millionaires” is straight of out the Liberal coded side racial identify politics. AKA social justice, pay your fair share.
It’s funny how the CT Port’s abandon its Bridgeport origin before this project was initiate. I sometime wonder if is a part of what Jeff calls the Gold Coast to keep the Port for it potential. 🤣 SJ
I the spirit of spring and Baseball, 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IQ4IzLHorY
Build it and they will come. 🙂 Think about it , people. P Lamont, it has a ring to it, No, 8 Bathrooms. 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgBIaIRRXKM&t=213s
P.S for shits in giggle.
But, do you people think that the Cat in CAT- HOLIC is part of the coded side game y’all got going on on this planet? JS 🤣
https://www.facebook.com/reel/559605373802841
What say you Corleone-e? 🙃
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK6ace7hvgI
Perhaps, it coded in one of Tupac’s songs/ writings 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1102016431695832
Either way, peace out Port, try to play nice. The prophet Slim Shady out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJO5HU_7_1w
Bridgeport History Center
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Heroes and Villains, Sports
James O’Rourke
Bridgeport’s Scholar-Athlete
James Henry O’Rourke
1850 – 1919
“Orator Jim” O’Rourke, one of the most colorful, popular and accomplished baseball ballplayers of the 19th century was born in East Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 1, 1850. His parents, Hugh and Catherine, had migrated from County Mayo, Ireland, and eventually settled in the section of Bridgeport being developed by P. T. Barnum. Jim attended Waltersville School (where his sister Sarah would one day teach) and Strong’s Military Academy. As a teenager Jim played ball with local clubs, including the Stratford Osceolas, while cultivating a statewide reputation as an outstanding batter. In 1872 Jim joined the Middletown Mansfields, thus becoming a member of America’s first professional baseball league, the National Association. Jim’s father, Hugh, had passed away roughly three years earlier so the twenty-year old ball player refused to leave his widowed mother until the Mansfields’ business manager agreed to hire a farmhand to take Jim’s place. The following season, 1873, O’Rourke became a member of the powerhouse National Association Boston Red Stockings. Jim and his teammates were among baseball’s first international ambassadors, touring Ireland and England with the Philadelphia Athletic Club during 1874. Partly due to Boston’s continued domination of the NA, the National League was formed. The East Bridgeport native made baseball history when he recorded the first hit in the National League, while a member of the Boston Red Caps, on April 22, 1876.
Orator Jim played for a total of 8 major league teams during 23 seasons: Middletown Mansfields (NA), Boston Red Stockings (NA), Boston Red Caps (NL), Providence Grays (NL), Buffalo Bisons (NL), New York Giants (NL), New York Giants (Players League) and the Washington Senators (NL). O’Rourke’s lifetime major league batting average (combining the NA and NL) is .313.
Noted for his ornate language, Jim entertained and confounded teammates, opponents and umpires alike, “Words of great length and thunderous sound simply flowed out of his mouth.” Always an advocate of education, before signing with the New York Giants, O’Rourke negotiated that the club pay his college tuition. Attending classes during the off season Jim graduated from Yale Law School in 1887. Following his major league playing days the Orator attempted a brief stint at umpiring, but the thankless, and often dangerous, role of diamond arbiter was not to Jim’s liking.
Returning to the Park City fulltime, O’Rourke helped organize the Connecticut State League in 1895, serving as league official, team owner, manager, and player. As a direct result Bridgeport retained a professional baseball team for over a third of a century. Proximity to Yale allowed Jim to umpire Ivy League ball games and he also devoted his expertise to consulting baseball hierarchy at the national level. Jim is credited with signing Harry Herbert in 1895, Bridgeport’s first African American to play pro ball. O’Rourke built a minor league stadium, Newfield Park, on his family’s farmland in the city’s East End in 1898. His on field contributions to the national pastime went unabated in Bridgeport for over sixteen seasons. During that time he batted .301 with his team, the Orators. At age 54 Orator Jim caught a complete game, the pennant clincher, for the 1904 New York Giants. He played his final professional game with the New Haven White Wings at age 62. During a stormy winter day, while walking to meet a client, Attorney O’Rourke caught a cold which quickly turned to pneumonia; he died January 8, 1919. Because of his outstanding play, as well as contributions to the game both on and off the field, James Henry O’Rourke was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
Some of James O’Rourke’s Baseball Accomplishments
Among baseball’s first international ambassadors, 1874
First hit in the National League, 1876
Jumping to the Providence Grays with George Wright caused team owners to devise the Reserve Clause, 1879
Jim and John O’Rourke were the first brothers to play together in a ML outfield, 1880 (In addition to his brother, Jim’s son, James “Queenie,” also played major league baseball)
First person to play ML ball in four different decades, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1904
First person to get multiple extra-base hits in a single inning during a World Series game, 1889
Oldest person to catch a complete ML game
Home Run Champion of 1874, 1875 and 1880
Batting Champion of 1884 (.347) Michael Bielawa
Michael Bielawa is a baseball historian and poet. He is the author of Bridgeport Baseball; Wicked Bridgeport; Wicked New Haven; and From Fairfield to Newfield: the Baseball Dream of Orator Jim O’Rourke. He is a Youth Services Librarian at the Bridgeport Public Library.
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