If I could describe Dennis O’Brien in a few
words, it would be “The Consummate Baseball Man.” OB was not only one of the
Three Wise Men in 1987 who saw their softball dreams come true, he was also
the spiritual leader to me as Coach and an inspiration to his teammates. Jim Harvey, November 2007 |
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OB's Career stats and player cards
It's hard to believe that as of this writing OB and I have known each other for over 27 years. OB was the guy that took me under his wing when I moved to the City right out of high school. He introduced me to the Giants and 49ers and it was in his little studio in the avenues that we watched Joe and Dwight hook up for "The Catch" and weeks later the Niners took their first Super Bowl and their first steps toward a 20 year dynasty. Denny was there in the pre-Beat days when we played football at the Polo Fields and volley ball out behind center field at Parkside. And when Jim put the bug in our ear to get a softball team together to join the City league, we were right there with him.
I can't describe the joy of those early years; the three of us sitting around with a make-shift word processor, tape, and a light board, pasting up early editions of On The Beat in an attempt to keep the players interested in this team that couldn't win a game on the field. But we stuck with it and the team grew and matured. Much of that maturity came on the back of OB, our veteran, our Ace. I only wish we'd kept better records way back when so that we had pitching stats for OB's career. Denny was the Beat's first winning pitcher in a close 6-5 win over Rockin' Robin's Couch Potatoes on April 16, 1988. He's also the owner of the team's two regular season shutouts, 6-0 vs. the US Park Police on August 20, 1994 and 17-0 vs. Mad Dog in the Fog on June 3, 2000. He was the team's fifth Brass Beat winner presented by John Palmer in 1992 and had the honor of pitching to John from the mound at Candlestick Park for the Steele's softball homerun contest back in the late '80's.
Over the years OB has been the team mentor, philosopher, sage, and shaman. He keeps us honest and reminds us that the Gods of Baseball are always watching. Without OB there would be no Beat. And though he rarely has the opportunity to venture down for the games anymore, his presence is always felt; more so than anyone else in this esteemed hall. Unlike the others in the Beat Hall of Fame, OB did not make a clean break. He did move out of the City, as many of us have, but he remained close enough that there was always the chance that he might make it down for a game. Because of that, he never really retired from the team but slowly reduced his playing time. OB's last complete game was August 14, 2004, a 9-9 tie in the Beat's first match-up with Flor de Cana. That would be the only game Flor would not win in nearly two years and the closest the Boys in Gray would come to beating them until May of 2007.
There was never a question of OB's eventual place in the Hall; the only question was when. A few months ago the Gods of Baseball spoke to me and said it was time.
Now three years after that milestone Flor game, and for the 20th Anniversary of this great team that he helped to start and nurture and evolve into what those who were lucky enough to participate in the 2004 Old Timer's Game have declared to be one of the greatest accomplishments of our lives, we welcome Dennis O'Brien into the Beat Hall of Fame. Denny, my friend, my brother...just look at what we've done. Happy Anniversary!
Kev