John O'Donoghue wasn't drafted. He was actually signed as a free agent. But he still made the majors, in 1993 with the Orioles.
After his debut, a start where he went into the seventh inning while giving up six earned, The Baltimore Sun asked if O'Donoghue had expected to make it that far.
"Apparently not a lot of people did," O'Donoghue told The Sun. "I was never one to think I would get this far. I worked hard, and it paid off."
For O'Donoghue, it paid off with 11 separate appearances for the Orioles that year, the other 10 relief outings. Those 11 outings proved the extent of his major league career.
O'Donoghue's career began in 1990, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana State University.
O'Donoghue followed his father John O'Donoghue to the pros, and to the College World Series mound. His father also went on to the majors, seeing nine seasons.
O'Donoghue started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield and high-A Frederick. He saw 11 outings, 7 starts between them. He went 4-3, with a 2.19 ERA.
He returned to Frederick for all of 1991, then saw AA Hagersown and AAA Rochester for 1992. He went 12-8, with a 2.62 ERA over 1992.
Then came 1993 and his debut in Baltimore. He started that year at AAA Rochester. He spoke to The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle then about his habit of taking his dad's baseball card with him in his pocket for good luck, something he started in college.
"He really stressed being determined and making people notice you," O'Donoghue told The Democrat and Chronicle then of the help he received from his dad. "His expression was 'Pitch till they can't ignore you,'" That didn't mean much when I was growing up but it really began to sink in as I got older.
After his debut, he spoke to The Democrat and Chronicle about advice he'd received from his dad - that he wouldn't notice the the major league crowd.
"Once you're there, you have a job to do," O'Donoghue told The Democrat and Chronicle. "I guess it could have been overwhelming. But I had a job to do, and I had to concentrate on that."
O'Donoghue saw 10 more relief outings for Baltimore that year. He ended with a 4.58 ERA. That season marked his only season with time in the majors.
O'Donoghue continued in the minors. He saw AAA Rochester again in 1994, then AAA Albuquerque with the Dodgers in 1995. He then split 1996 between AA Tulsa with the Rangers and AA Bowie back with the Orioles. That season marked his last as a pro.
O'Donoghue then went into law enforcement. By 2021, he'd spent 24 years with the Baton Rouge Police Department, most recently as commander of the department's special victim's unit.
- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, April 3, 1993: He won't leave home without it
- Baltimore Sun, June 28, 1993: O'Donoghue realizes a dream, if not a win, in debut
- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, June 30, 1993: O'Donoghue found father did know best
Made the Majors:1,424-32.0-X
Never Made Majors:3,026-68.0%
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