Paul O'Neill (baseball)

His older sister was Molly O'Neill (1952-2019), a chef, cookbook author, and food writer for The New York Times.

O'Neill attended Brookhaven High School.

He played baseball and basketball.

Paul Andrew O'Neill (born February 25, 1963) is an American former baseball right fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).

In basketball, O'Neill earned all-state honors in his senior year 1981 and Central District Player of the Year.

O'Neill was drafted by the Reds in the fourth round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.

He led the Yankees to the postseason for the first time since 1981, but they lost to the Seattle Mariners in the division series despite winning the first two games.

He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1985–1992) and New York Yankees (1993–2001).

O'Neill compiled 281 home runs, 1,269 runs batted in, 2,107 hits, and a lifetime batting average of .288.

O'Neill made his major-league debut on September 3, 1985, and singled in his first at-bat.

For the rest of the 1985 season, O'Neill played in five games with four hits and one RBI.

He spent most of the 1986 season in the minors.

He played only in three games with the Major League team during 1986 and did not get a hit in the majors that year.

O'Neill split his time between the minors and the MLB team in 1987.

He appeared in 84 games for the Reds that year, batting .256 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

He was in right field for the Reds for Tom Browning's perfect game in 1988.

In 1988, his first full season with the Reds, O'Neill played 145 games, batting .252 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs.

O'Neill played 117 games in 1989, batting .276 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs.

In 1989, O'Neill had a similar statistical line, batting .276 on the year with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs.

On July 5, he famously kicked a ball back into the infield after he bobbled it in shallow right, preventing a runner from second from scoring on the play (a single).

The play is referenced on his Baseball-Reference page, where his characteristics are listed as "Bats: Left, Throws: Left, Kicks: Left".

In 1990, O'Neill played in 145 games, batting .270 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs.

O'Neill batted .277 during the 1990 postseason with a home run and five RBIs as the Reds won the World Series over the Oakland Athletics.

O'Neill clashed with Reds manager Lou Piniella, who wanted O'Neill to change his swing to hit more home runs.

He was a five-time World Series champion and a five-time All-Star (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998).

O'Neill is the only player to have played on the winning team in three perfect games.

In response to the clash, O'Neill improved greatly in 1991 by playing 152 games with a career high of 28 home runs.

He batted .256 with 91 RBIs, as well.

In his final season as a member of the Reds, O'Neill played in 148 games, batting .246 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs.

On November 3, 1992, the Reds traded O'Neill to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly.

In his first season as a Yankee, O'Neill played 141 games batting .311 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs.

He won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average.

During the strike-shortened 1994 season, O'Neill played 103 games with a .359 batting average, 21 home runs, and 83 RBIs, which led him to be selected to his second All-Star game.

O'Neill won the batting title, and the Yankees led the East Division by six and a half games when the players' strike ended the season.

He signed a four-year, $19 million contract.

In 1995, O'Neill played in 127 games, batting .300 with 22 home runs, 96 RBIs, and an MLB-leading 25 double plays committed.

He caught the final out (a fly ball) in the Yankees' David Wells' perfect game in 1998, and he made a diving catch in right field and doubled to help the Yankees win David Cone's perfect game in 1999.

After retiring from playing baseball, O'Neill became a broadcaster for the Yankees on the YES Network.

He currently works on the network as the lead game analyst and color commentator.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, O'Neill and his family were fans of the Cincinnati Reds.