| Ken O'Dea | |
|---|---|
 O'Dea, circa 1944 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: March 16, 1913 Lima, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: December 17, 1985 (aged 72) Lima, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 21, 1935, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 6, 1946, for the Boston Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .255 |
| Home runs | 40 |
| Runs batted in | 323 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
James Kenneth O'Dea (March 16, 1913 – December 17, 1985) was an American professional baseball player.[1] He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1935–38), New York Giants (1939–41), St. Louis Cardinals (1942–46), and Boston Braves (1946).
O'Dea had the misfortune of playing on the same teams alongside some of the best catchers in the National League, which limited his playing time.[2] Although he played most of his 12-year MLB career as a backup catcher, O'Dea was considered one of the best defensive catchers in the major leagues prior to World War II.[2]
- ^ "Ken O'Dea statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- ^ a b William, McNeil (2006), Backstop: a history of the catcher and a sabermetric ranking of 50 all-time greats, McFarland Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7864-2177-0