About Harry O'Neill

Harry Mink O'Neill (May 8, 1917 – March 6, 1945) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939, as a catcher. O'Neill and Elmer Gedeon were the only two Major League Baseball players killed during World War II.

Collegiate athletics
O'Neill distinguished himself as a very gifted college athlete. At Gettysburg College, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder sometimes called "Porkie," led the school's baseball, football and basketball teams to league championships. After graduation, he was the subject of a bidding war between two American League teams, eventually signing with his hometown Athletics.