Don O'Riley--1971
Despite a haphazardly airbrushed “Sox”
onto his Kansas City cap, Don O’Riley
will forever be known as a Royal who saw
both his career and his life end far too
soon.
The right-hander’s big league career
was limited to 27 appearances and a 1-
1, 6.17 mark during the infancy of the
Royals.
With a career cut short due to an elbow
injury sustained during a motorcycle
accident, O’Riley saw his life end
prematurely when a bullet felled the
former major leaguer.
An avid golfer by day, O’Riley worked at
a Fast Start Convenience store in
Kansas City at night following his
retirement from baseball.
Armed with a gun, he fought off an
intruder who attempted to rob the store
on the evening of Friday, May 2, 1997.
Accounts note that O’Riley was able to
discharge his gun, as his bullet found the
back of the intruder, Robert Muse.
Unfortunately, the former Royal was hit in
the head by a shot from Muse, dying
almost instantly at the age of 52.
Editor's Note: O'Riley has one of the
short stories in Bury My Heart at
Cooperstown, by Frank Russo and
Gene Razc. I find their web site The
Deadball Era web site to be far more
interesting than their book. Here is a link
to a picture of O'Riley's grave site: Don
O'Riley's Grave
(11/09/10)
onto his Kansas City cap, Don O’Riley
will forever be known as a Royal who saw
both his career and his life end far too
soon.
The right-hander’s big league career
was limited to 27 appearances and a 1-
1, 6.17 mark during the infancy of the
Royals.
With a career cut short due to an elbow
injury sustained during a motorcycle
accident, O’Riley saw his life end
prematurely when a bullet felled the
former major leaguer.
An avid golfer by day, O’Riley worked at
a Fast Start Convenience store in
Kansas City at night following his
retirement from baseball.
Armed with a gun, he fought off an
intruder who attempted to rob the store
on the evening of Friday, May 2, 1997.
Accounts note that O’Riley was able to
discharge his gun, as his bullet found the
back of the intruder, Robert Muse.
Unfortunately, the former Royal was hit in
the head by a shot from Muse, dying
almost instantly at the age of 52.
Editor's Note: O'Riley has one of the
short stories in Bury My Heart at
Cooperstown, by Frank Russo and
Gene Razc. I find their web site The
Deadball Era web site to be far more
interesting than their book. Here is a link
to a picture of O'Riley's grave site: Don
O'Riley's Grave
(11/09/10)
