Spottswood Poles

Born: 12/27/1887 in Winchester, VA, USA

Died: 9/12/1962 in Harrisburg, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1912-08-24

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 165 lbs

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Biography

Spottswood Poles, born in 1887, was a notable figure in early 20th-century baseball, primarily recognized for his contributions as a position player during a time when the game was evolving. His professional career spanned from August 24, 1912, to August 29, 1920, a period that included significant changes in the sport, including the rise of the Negro Leagues. While Poles did not record any official statistics in terms of games played, hits, home runs, RBIs, or stolen bases, his presence in the league reflected the talent and passion of African American players during an era marked by racial segregation in Major League Baseball. Poles was part of the vibrant and competitive landscape of Negro League baseball, where he showcased his skills and athleticism. Although detailed records of his performance may be sparse, his participation in this league placed him among a group of pioneering athletes who laid the groundwork for future generations. The challenges faced by players like Poles, both on and off the field, contributed to the eventual integration of baseball, making his legacy an important chapter in the history of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
262	1032	205	321	52	8	3	98	66	111	0	0.311	0.388	0.386	0.774	2623.2

Career AVG .311 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — +18.0% above league average.

Career OBP .388 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +18.5% above league average.

Career SLG .386 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.774 vs. league average 0.680 across their career seasons — +13.8% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1909	PG	INT	17	63	11	15	2	1	0	6	3	7	0.238	.244 (-3%)	.306 (+3%)	.312 (-3%)	.618 (avg)	3.0
1910	PG	EAS	19	77	13	15	4	0	1	5	1	7	0.195	.249 (-22%)	.317 (-15%)	.326 (-13%)	.644 (-14%)	-160.1
1911	NLG	EAS	15	62	12	19	1	1	0	6	10	7	0.306	.266 (+15%)	.336 (+17%)	.356 (-1%)	.693 (+8%)	113.0
1912	NLG	EAS	16	67	8	25	0	0	0	9	3	0	0.373	.268 (+39%)	.335 (+17%)	.358 (+4%)	.694 (+10%)	114.3
1912	BRG	EAS	1	5	2	2	0	0	0	1	2	0	0.400	—	—	—	—	114.3
1913	NLG	EAS	17	65	17	19	4	0	0	6	6	11	0.292	.259 (+13%)	.325 (+24%)	.345 (+2%)	.670 (+13%)	183.0
1914	NLS	EAS	1	3	1	2	0	0	0	1	2	2	0.667	—	—	—	—	0.0
1914	NLG	EAS	28	121	30	50	8	1	0	14	10	12	0.413	.255 (+62%)	.322 (+47%)	.339 (+46%)	.661 (+47%)	0.0
1915	NLS	EAS	38	157	29	41	8	2	0	14	9	16	0.261	.250 (+4%)	.318 (+6%)	.332 (+2%)	.651 (+4%)	108.9
1916	NLG	EAS	18	73	16	22	1	0	1	5	2	10	0.301	.248 (+21%)	.314 (+23%)	.326 (+9%)	.640 (+16%)	213.3
1917	NLG	EAS	15	53	15	21	5	0	0	8	3	10	0.396	.248 (+59%)	.312 (+67%)	.323 (+52%)	.635 (+59%)	570.8
1919	HIL	EAS	5	21	2	4	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.190	—	—	—	—	0.0
1919	AC	EAS	12	51	11	18	4	2	0	4	3	3	0.353	.262 (+35%)	.322 (+24%)	.347 (+47%)	.670 (+36%)	0.0
1920	NLG	EAS	7	26	2	6	3	0	0	2	4	3	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0
1921	NLG	EAS	7	32	8	12	5	0	1	3	1	1	0.375	—	—	—	—	0.0
1922	NLG	IND	13	50	10	19	4	0	0	3	4	4	0.380	.285 (+33%)	.345 (+26%)	.397 (+16%)	.743 (+21%)	189.6
1923	NLG	ECL	33	106	18	31	3	1	0	10	3	17	0.292	.282 (+3%)	.344 (+16%)	.390 (-13%)	.734 (+1%)	96.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
3B	2	0	4	4	2	0
OF	259	93	460	33	27	6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1909	PG	OF	17	0	38	1	2	0
1910	PG	OF	19	0	29	1	4	0
1911	NLG	OF	15	0	25	2	2	0
1912	NLG	OF	16	0	25	2	0	1
1912	BRG	OF	1	0	5	0	0	0
1913	NLG	OF	17	0	34	2	3	0
1914	NLS	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1914	NLG	OF	28	0	59	4	3	1
1915	NLS	OF	38	0	92	3	3	1
1916	NLG	OF	18	18	35	3	2	1
1917	NLG	3B	2	0	4	4	2	0
1917	NLG	OF	13	0	18	2	0	1
1919	HIL	OF	5	5	9	1	1	0
1919	AC	OF	12	12	27	2	1	0
1920	NLG	OF	7	7	11	0	2	0
1921	NLG	OF	7	7	9	2	1	0
1922	NLG	OF	13	13	16	2	1	1
1923	NLG	OF	32	31	28	6	2	0