"A principled and educated man, he (Jim O'Rourke) quickly established himself as one of the country's top baseball players. When the Boston Red Stockings signed him in 1873, the manager told him the 'Puritans' in Boston would not tolerate an Irish Catholic player and insisted O'Rourke change his name to Rourke. He refused and the manager backed down. Years later, O'Rourke would sign a contract with the New York Giants with the stipulation that the team pay for him to attend Yale Law School. It did and he graduated in 1887, becoming a lawyer in the offseason. But baseball was his passion. And the educated man stood in stark contrast to his often bawdier teammates. His eloquent colloquies earned him the nickname 'Orator Jim.'" - Columnist Les Carpenter in the Washington Post (A House Caught in the Rundown, 04/21/2006)