Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-05
o'RouRKE RETIREs.
Grand Old Man of Baseball Back
 Among the Fans-Played for Forty
 Three Years

The sale of the Bridgeport baseball club franchise by James H. ORourkt | to H. Eugene McCann of Jersey City and the announcement that O'Rourke the grand old man of baseball, is to retire from the game is of more than passing interest Mir. ORourke, who
 was owner and manager of the Bridge port club of the Connecticut league has been connected with the national
 game for forty three years, in both the
 major and minor leagues He is now secretary and treasurer of the Connec- tlcut league, which he organized Even
 in the latter years, although he is long past the limit popularly set for active
 participation in professional sports, he always donned his uniform for a few days to show the boys how the game should really be played.
 MT. O'RourIe is one of the few men
 now living who helped to bring the
 game into it's present great popularity.
 He is the father of the Connecticut
 league, and that organization owes its
 prosperity of the present, in a large
 measure, to the business acumen, ex-
 ecutive ability and foresight of MT.
 O'Rourke, who has been connected with
 1t in some official capacity from the
 first He has been made the victim of
 almost innumerable vicious attacks by
 certain newspaper writers, but through 1t all has comported himself with dig
 nifty and like a gentleman. The old
 time fans and his many admirers will be sorry to lose him.
 MT. O'Rourke was born in Bridge port Aug 24, 1854. His first experi-
 of that city in 1867. In 1871 he played
 with the Orioles of Hartford, and in
 1872 was member of the famous AIansf1elds of Middletown, of which the
 well known writer, Tim Murname, and the famous catcher of his day John Clapp, were members. O'Rourke play ed with the Bostons from 1873 to 1878 and made the memorable tour to Eu- 1arV !, 4 i n he went to Providence with George Wright and helped to land the pennant. The next season saw him back in Bos- ton again. In 1S81-1S84 he played played with the New Yorks, who won the pennant in 1888 and 1889. He was identified with the Players league team of New York in 1890, but was back again with the New York Giants in 1891 and 1892 and in 1893 ended his career with a major league team in Washington. He tried his hand at mpiring in 1894, but did not find that occupation congeniaI and he finished the season with the St. JOseph's of Bridgeport. In 1895 he managed the Victors of Bridgeport and in 1896 or ganized the Naugatuck Valley league and was manager and captain of the Bridgeport club.
 In 1897 he assisted to organize the Connecticut league and was the first president. also secretary and treasurer. He has been secretary of the league ever since it's organization. In 1903 his only son, James H. O'ROurke Jr.. played on his fathers team and con tinued there until the fall of 1908, when he played with the New York Ameri- cans, and is now with the Columbus American association club. In nine seasons the elder O'Rourke missed very few games in which the Bridgeport club took part. It is estimated that he played in about 2,000 National and Players league games, and in over 1. 900 Connecticut league contests. MT O'Rourke was not only baseball mag nate and manager. but is a member of the national board of arbitration. He is also a practicing attorney. The es- teem in which he is held in Bridgeport Is shown by the fact that he has served On the board of public works and on the board of fire commissioners. He Is a prominent member of the ElI1s, -he Royal Arcanum and the Knights of Columbus.