He was born in the village of Maum, in County Galway, Ireland, to Michael O'Neill, a landholder, and Mary Joyce.[1]
Career
O'Neill was a good-hitting pitcher who occasionally played in the left field. In 1901, he ended with a 2–2 record and a 1.32 earned run average, including a shutout, and hit .400 (6-for-15). His most productive season came in 1902, when he posted an 18–12 record with two shutouts, a 2.75 ERA, and two saves. On June 3, he was rested until being summoned as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning with the bases loaded. O'Neill responded by hitting the first pinch grand slam in major league history off Togie Pittinger of the Boston Beaneaters.[2][3] It was an inside-the-park home run as O'Neill became the first National League pitcher to hit a grand slam in the 20th century.[4]
Despite his 3.26 ERA in 1903, O'Neill had a 4-13 record, in part due to poor run support, as he posted a WHIP of 1.56. He went 10-14 with a 2.09 ERA in 1904 and did not return with St. Louis the next year. He also played with the Cincinnati Reds in 1907, strictly as a reserve left fielder and pinch-hitter, retiring from baseball at the end of the season. In a four-season pitching career, O'Neill posted a 32–44 record with 228 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA in 694.1 innings. He completed 68 games in 77 starts. In five seasons, he was a .255 hitter with two home runs and 41 RBI in 137 games played (85 as a pitcher).[5]
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
Family
O'Neill was one of four brothers who played in the major leagues:[5]
Jack (1873–1975), a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Boston Braves (1902–1906), who also caught Mike's first start for St. Louis (April 4, 1902)
