Tom O'Malley
Encyclopedia
----
Thomas Patrick O'Malley (born December 25, 1960 in Orange, New Jersey
) is a former Major League baseball player born in Orange, New Jersey
, and raised in Montoursville, Pennsylvania
in the United States. He played for the San Francisco Giants
, Chicago White Sox
, Baltimore Orioles
, Texas Rangers
, Montreal Expos
, and New York Mets
. He also spent six highly successful seasons in the Japanese Central League
with the Hanshin Tigers
and Yakult Swallows. He also worked as a manager for the Newark Bears
in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
after retiring.
in 1979
, and made his major league debut with the Giants in . He played in 135 major league games in 1983, but split time with the majors and minors afterwards, spending nine years playing for six different teams.
He was signed by the Hanshin Tigers
in , and immediately became the regular third baseman for the team. He won the Central League
golden glove award in , and led the league in on-base-percentage from 1992 to 1995, averaging 20 HRs and a batting average over .300 each season. He introduced Jim Paciorek
to the Tigers in 1992, and managed to put the struggling Tigers in second place that year. O'Malley won the batting title in , but left the Tigers in after having issues with manager Katsuhiro Nakamura.
He was quickly picked up by the Yakult Swallows in , and played his best season that year, hitting 31 home runs with 87 RBIs and a .307 batting average. The Swallows won the Japan Series that year, and O'Malley was awarded both the season MVP award, and the Japan Series MVP award.
He hit .300 for the sixth season in a row in , (a record among non-Japanese players in the Japanese professional leagues) but split with the Swallows over contract obligations. He returned to the major leagues to spend spring training with the Texas Rangers
, but retired after he was cut from the team. He managed the Newark Bears
from to after retiring.
He returned to Japan during the Hanshin Tigers
spring training camp, and served as a batting coach throughout the season. He was also a mentor for non-Japanese players, including George Arias
, Jeff Williams, Trey Moore
, and Jerrod Riggan
, who contributed to the Tigers' championship in . O'Malley resigned from his coaching job after Senichi Hoshino
resigned from his managerial position. He scouted players in the major and minor leagues for the Hanshin Tigers
until 2009, and traveled to Japan during spring training to offer advice to non-Japanese players. He has appeared in various television commercials in the local Kansai
region (Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
), and posters featuring O'Malley could be found in Koshien Stadium
.
Thomas Patrick O'Malley (born December 25, 1960 in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
) is a former Major League baseball player born in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
, and raised in Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter...
in the United States. He played for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He also spent six highly successful seasons in the Japanese Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
with the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
and Yakult Swallows. He also worked as a manager for the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
after retiring.
Biography
O'Malley was drafted by the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in 1979
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
, and made his major league debut with the Giants in . He played in 135 major league games in 1983, but split time with the majors and minors afterwards, spending nine years playing for six different teams.
He was signed by the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
in , and immediately became the regular third baseman for the team. He won the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
golden glove award in , and led the league in on-base-percentage from 1992 to 1995, averaging 20 HRs and a batting average over .300 each season. He introduced Jim Paciorek
Jim Paciorek
James Joseph Paciorek is a former major league baseball player from Detroit, Michigan. He played first base, third base, and outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers...
to the Tigers in 1992, and managed to put the struggling Tigers in second place that year. O'Malley won the batting title in , but left the Tigers in after having issues with manager Katsuhiro Nakamura.
He was quickly picked up by the Yakult Swallows in , and played his best season that year, hitting 31 home runs with 87 RBIs and a .307 batting average. The Swallows won the Japan Series that year, and O'Malley was awarded both the season MVP award, and the Japan Series MVP award.
He hit .300 for the sixth season in a row in , (a record among non-Japanese players in the Japanese professional leagues) but split with the Swallows over contract obligations. He returned to the major leagues to spend spring training with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, but retired after he was cut from the team. He managed the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
from to after retiring.
He returned to Japan during the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
spring training camp, and served as a batting coach throughout the season. He was also a mentor for non-Japanese players, including George Arias
George Arias
----George Alberto Arias is a former baseball player in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.-Career:...
, Jeff Williams, Trey Moore
Trey Moore
Warren Neal "Trey" Moore III , is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of three seasons in the major leagues, between and , for the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves. He also played three seasons in Japan, from until , for the Hanshin Tigers and Orix BlueWave.-External links:...
, and Jerrod Riggan
Jerrod Riggan
Jerrod Ashley Riggan is an American former Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Riggan played for the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians . He also played in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in 2003 and 2004.-External links:...
, who contributed to the Tigers' championship in . O'Malley resigned from his coaching job after Senichi Hoshino
Senichi Hoshino
, 22 January 1947, is a former Japanese professional baseball player and current manager.In 2003, he led the Tigers to their first Central League pennant in 18 years before retiring for health reasons. Since 2007, He had managed the Japanese national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.In October,...
resigned from his managerial position. He scouted players in the major and minor leagues for the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
until 2009, and traveled to Japan during spring training to offer advice to non-Japanese players. He has appeared in various television commercials in the local Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
region (Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Hanshin Electric Railway
is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.The second character for Osaka and the first character for Kobe combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.IC cards are accepted when...
), and posters featuring O'Malley could be found in Koshien Stadium
Koshien Stadium
is a baseball park located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on April 1, 1924. It was the largest stadium in Asia at the time it was completed, with a capacity of 55,000.The name Kōshien comes...
.