Ed Sprague, baseball player, 1968-1976

Ed Sprague

Born: 9/16/1945 in Boston, MA, USA

Died: 1/10/2020 in Lodi, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1968-04-10 | Final Game: 1976-06-05

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Edward Nelson Sprague

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Ed Sprague was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1968 to 1976. Born in 1945, he made his mark in Major League Baseball during a time characterized by a transition in pitching styles and strategies. Known for his competitive spirit and effective fastball, Sprague finished his career with a win-loss record of 17-23 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.84. Over the course of his tenure, he recorded 188 strikeouts and secured 9 saves, showcasing his versatility as both a starting and relief pitcher. Sprague's career unfolded during an era when the game was evolving, with pitchers increasingly relying on specialized roles and strategies. Although his record may not reflect dominance, his ability to contribute to a team's bullpen and his experience on the mound were valuable assets in the context of his playing years. Ed Sprague's contributions to the teams he played for have left a lasting impression, highlighting the importance of durable and reliable pitchers in the ever-evolving landscape of professional baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
17 23 198 23 3 0 9 408.0 406 174 27 206 188 3.84 0

Career ERA 3.84 vs. league average 3.50 across their career seasons — 9.6% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1968 OAK AL 3 4 47 1 0 0 4 68.7 51 25 34 34 3.28 2.98 (-10%) -1622.9
1969 OAK AL 1 1 27 0 0 0 2 46.3 47 23 31 20 4.47 3.61 (-24%) -1510.2
1971 CIN NL 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 11.0 8 0 1 7 0.00 3.47 (+100%) 556.1
1972 CIN NL 3 3 33 1 0 0 0 56.7 55 26 26 25 4.13 3.26 (-26%) -1668.8
1973 CIN NL 1 3 28 0 0 0 1 38.7 35 22 22 19 5.12 3.75 (-37%) -689.4
1973 STL NL 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 8.0 8 2 4 2 2.25 — -
1973 ATL AL 0 1 7 0 0 0 1 9.7 13 10 14 3 9.31 3.75 (-149%) -
1974 ATL AL 7 2 20 10 3 0 0 94.0 94 25 31 57 2.39 3.63 (+34%) -
1975 ATL AL 1 7 18 11 0 0 1 67.3 81 35 40 21 4.68 3.71 (-26%) -
1976 ATL AL 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 7.7 14 6 3 0 7.04 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
198 22 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.045 0.045 0.091 0.136 0.0

Career AVG .045 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 81.9% below league average.

Career OBP .045 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 85.7% below league average.

Career SLG .091 vs. league average .365 across their career seasons — 75.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.136 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — 80.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1968 OAK AL 47 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1969 OAK AL 27 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1971 CIN NL 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1972 CIN NL 33 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1973 CIN NL 28 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1973 STL NL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1973 ATL AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 ATL AL 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 ATL AL 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 ATL AL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 198 23 36 70 12 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1968 OAK P 47 1 8 15 2 0
1969 OAK P 27 0 5 17 1 1
1971 CIN P 7 0 0 0 1 0
1972 CIN P 33 1 2 6 1 1
1973 CIN P 28 0 3 9 2 0
1973 SLN P 8 0 2 1 0 1
1973 ML4 P 7 0 1 1 0 0
1974 ML4 P 20 10 8 9 2 2
1975 ML4 P 18 11 7 8 3 0
1976 ML4 P 3 0 0 4 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 198