Irish Wolfhounds Sign Pitcher John O’Reilly

Rutgers Star and Pirates Farmhand Will Join Quest For World Baseball Classic

New York, NY (March 25, 2024) – The Irish Wolfhounds have announced the signing of pitcher John O’Reilly.

O’Reilly, a native of Northvale, NJ, pitched in the Pirates organization from 2018-2023. He has pitched in AAA for the past three seasons. He pitched collegiately for Rutgers.

"I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent my family and my heritage on the baseball diamond,” said O’Reilly from his home in New Jersey. “I’d love to help Ireland get to the World Baseball Classic.”

The Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club was established in 2023, to demonstrate that Ireland has the ability to reach the World Baseball Classic. The team’s roster includes college and former professional players who have, or qualify for, Irish citizenship.

O’Reilly was recruited by Wolfhounds coaches, Vin Malzahn and former major leaguer Rob Delaney. 

“Adding a pitcher of John’s caliber to the Wolfhounds is very exciting heading into the 2024 season,” said General Manager Christian Heimall. “We are looking forward to watching him, and all our players, continue to showcase their talent and strengthen our push to see Irish Baseball on the world stage.”

“My family is from Cork, Cavan, Longford, and Leitrim,” explained O’Reilly. “I played Gaelic football from the age of six until college for St. Joseph’s GFC out of Bergen County, NJ, as well as the NY fielé team that competed in Kildare, Ireland. Needless to say, representing the Irish community is very important to me.”

About the Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club

The Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club is a project of the Irish American Baseball Society, a non-profit organization that supports youth baseball programs in Ireland and operates the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. For more information, visit WolfhoundsBaseball.com.

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