Tickets are on sale now: Click here to purchase
TAMPA, Aug. 19, 2026 — The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame will welcome four new members this fall, honoring a distinguished class whose contributions span the dugout, front office, player representation and sports broadcasting.
The Class of 2026 will be inducted at the First Irish Baseball Fall Classic Dinner on Saturday, November 21, at Hunter’s Green Country Club in Tampa.
The 2026 inductees are:
- John McCormack, Head Coach, Florida Atlantic University
- Tom McNamara, Special Assistant to the General Manager, Kansas City Royals
- Tom O’Connell, Major League Baseball player agent
- Dan O’Dowd, MLB Network Analyst and former MLB General Manager
The Class of 2026 joins a distinguished roster of previous inductees that includes Wade Boggs, Jim Palmer, Steve Garvey, Nolan Ryan, Vin Scully, and Sean Casey.
“This year’s inductee class represents many facets of the game, from coaching and scouting to player representation, broadcasting, and the front office,” said Shaun Clancy, founder and president emeritus of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. “Each of these four men has left his mark on the game, and each carries the Irish American story forward in his own way.”
John McCormack is entering his 19th season as head baseball coach at Florida Atlantic University. During his tenure, McCormack has compiled a .607 winning percentage, won four regular-season conference titles and the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship, and led the Owls to six NCAA Regional appearances.
Each of Coach McCormack’s grandparents came to America from Ireland, hailing from Counties Longford, Kerry, Cork and Tipperary. His distant Irish relatives include Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack, his second cousin three times removed.
Tom McNamara, special assistant to the general manager of the Kansas City Royals, has spent nearly four decades in professional baseball as a player, coach, scout and front-office executive.
McNamara began his scouting career with the Seattle Mariners in 1994, followed by positions with the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. He later returned to the Mariners organization, serving as director of amateur scouting from 2008 to 2016 and special assistant to the general manager from 2016 to 2020. McNamara joined the Royals’ front office in 2020.
McNamara is a member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, the Rockland Community College Hall of Fame and the Dominican University Athletic Hall of Fame. In November 2025, he was named East Coast Scout of the Year at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL.
McNamara’s paternal grandparents were from Counties Galway and Clare, and his maternal great-grandparents were from Counties Cork and Longford.
Tom O’Connell has represented more than 100 professional baseball players, including 60 major leaguers, since beginning his career in 1997. He became a Major League Baseball Players Association-certified agent in 2001.
Under his leadership, O’Connell Sports Management has established itself as one of the most respected agencies in professional baseball. O’Connell has also served on the MLBPA Agent Advisory Board, reflecting his leadership and standing within the baseball industry.
O’Connell’s paternal grandparents were from Blarney, County Cork, and his maternal great-grandparents were from Counties Kilkenny and Kerry.
Dan O’Dowd began his baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles before joining the Cleveland Indians, where he advanced from accounts manager to director of baseball operations and assistant general manager.
In 1999, O’Dowd was named general manager of the Colorado Rockies, a position he held for 14 seasons. He was the architect of the first Rockies team to reach the World Series in 2007.
Following his front-office career, O’Dowd moved into broadcasting and now serves as an analyst for MLB Network.
Three of his great-grandparents were from Ireland, representing Counties Cork, Mayo and Louth.
The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame was founded in 2008 by Shaun Clancy. Known as the “Irish Hall,” it was housed inside Clancy’s iconic New York City restaurant, Foley’s NY, until 2020.
The Hall was relaunched in 2022 as part of the Irish American Baseball Society. Clancy remains a driving force behind the Hall and serves as its President Emeritus.
Tickets and additional information about the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame and the Irish Baseball Fall Classic Dinner are available at www.IrishBaseball.org.
About the Irish American Baseball Society
The Irish American Baseball Society celebrates the Irish impact on baseball and supports the development of youth baseball programs in Ireland and the United States. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in baseball and Ireland, regardless of ancestral heritage. For more information, visit www.IrishBaseball.org.
The Irish American Baseball Society is a nonprofit subsidiary of Emerald Diamond International. Federal Tax ID: 20-4623222.
