Irish American Baseball Society

09/08/2026

Happy Birthday to Irish Wolfhounds coach and former major league pitcher Rob Delaney! Rob pitched for St. John's University from 2004-2006 before signing with the Twins as an undrafted free agent. He then went on to pitch in the big leagues for both the Twins and Rays. Rob's Irish roots run deep, tracing back to his grandfather, James Delaney of Roscommon! ☘⚾

09/07/2026

This summer, we sent AJ LaMonda to Ireland to teach baseball skills to kids in Kinsale and Laois. On Friday, AJ will join us to recap his trip — how it went, how the kids responded to learning baseball skills, what we learned, and what’s next! We'll also be discussing our new Irish-based organization, USA-Ireland Youth Sports!

We hope you can join us!

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! Did you know that Hall of Famer Tim Keefe served as secretary and a key organizer for the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players, the first major professional sports labor union? Working alongside founder John Montgomery Ward, Keefe helped build the union formed in 1885 to fight the unfair reserve clauses and rigid salary caps imposed by team owners.

Keefe's parents, Patrick and Mary (Leary), came over from County Cork and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As a young baseball player, Tim was mentored by Tommy Bond, an Irish-born pitcher who also lived in Cambridge. Keefe made his major league debut on August 6, 1880. ☘⚾

Keefe's involvement in labor issues mattered not just because he was a great organizer and a visionary leader, but because he was one of the top players of his era. He still holds the all-time single-season ERA record at 0.86, and in one remarkable season threw 68 complete games and won 41 of them. He also won a record 19 consecutive games in 1888, won 40 games in a season twice, and retired with 342 career victories and 2,564 strikeouts — the record at the time.

Tim Keefe was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin may not be Irish, but he'll be at the Irish Baseball Fall Classic Dinner on November 21 in Tampa! Join Zach and Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame Founder Shaun Clancy for a night of recognition and celebration, as we honor four new inductees into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame:

⚾ - John McCormack - Head Coach, Florida Atlantic University

⚾ - Tom McNamara - KC Royals, Special Assistant to the GM

⚾ - Tom O'Connell - MLB Player Agent

⚾ - Dan O'Dowd - MLB Network and Former MLB General Manager

This event will mark the first IABHOF event since 2019.

Your ticket includes an evening of great food, special guests, baseball conversation, and opportunities to support the continued growth of youth baseball programs in Ireland and the mission of preserving Irish baseball history and heritage.

Please note: This is a dinner, not an autograph signing. Guest attendance is subject to change without notice. Tickets are for the overall event and not for any specific guest; therefore, refunds will not be issued due to guest schedule changes or cancellations.

09/01/2026

Hall of Famer Jim O'Rourke was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on this day in 1850. Jim's parents, Hugh and Catherine (O'Donnell) O'Rourke, were both from County Donegal! ☘⚾

Legend has it that O'Rourke was asked to drop the "O" in his last name by the Protestant owners of the Boston Red Stockings. The son of Irish immigrants and the husband of a woman born in Ireland, O'Rourke refused, saying, "I would rather die than give up my father's name. A million dollars would not tempt me."

O'Rourke kept his name and got his contract — and on April 22, 1876, he made history, recording the first base hit in major league history as the leadoff hitter for those very same Boston Red Stockings.

In 1895, O'Rourke organized the Connecticut State League. In 1912, he returned to the field to catch a complete minor league game at the age of 60. He is one of 29 players to appear in games in four different decades! He retired, for good, with a lifetime .310 batting average, 2,639 hits, 1,729 runs scored ( #25 all-time), and 1,208 runs batted in.

In all, Jim O'Rourke spent five decades in the game as a player, manager, umpire, and owner. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

FUN FACT: O'Rourke is an anglicized form of the Gaelic O'Ruairc. Ruairc is derived from a Norse personal name. The O'Rourkes were one of the great princely families of Ireland.

08/31/2026

The Irish American Baseball Society and the Ancient Order of Hibernians applaud the New York Mets on the successful return of Irish Heritage Night at Citi Field on August 28. ☘⚾

From the pregame concert by Shilelagh Law to Emmet Cahill’s rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, Des Bishop’s first pitch, and Irish step dancers performing between innings, the festivities were a fitting celebration of Irish culture and heritage.

With the return of Irish Heritage Night in Queens, the Mets are once again setting the standard for a culturally respectful celebration that genuinely engages the local Irish community without relying on tired stereotypes. We're already looking forward to next year's event!

We encourage other professional sports teams to emulate the Mets' dignified and respectful celebration of Irish heritage. Our organizations are available to offer guidance, information, and support to teams interested in creating meaningful Irish heritage celebrations of their own.

08/30/2026

WELCOME TO IT TAKES TWO! Just Vin Scully hosting a game show, cracking jokes, tossing to commercials, conducting a live phone interview, discussing the world’s oldest dog, all while keeping a black lab calm in front of a live studio audience.

It Takes Two aired on NBC from March 31, 1969, to July 31, 1970.

08/30/2026

Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was born in Martinez, CA, on this day in 1944. A two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, McGraw is a member of the Mets and Phillies Hall of Fame, and he was posthumously inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Tug's great-grandfather, William McGraw, was born in County Down! ☘⚾

08/30/2026

HURRAH FOR THE SHAMROCK GREEN, AND THE SPLINTER OF SHILLELAGH! Ted Williams — The Splendid Splinter Himself — was born in San Diego, California, on this day in 1918. Ted's great-grandparents, James Kennedy and Mary Jane (Keefe) Kennedy, came over from County Cork, and his grandparents, Nicholas and Margaret Jane (Kennedy) Williams, met in Yonkers, NY! ☘⚾