Doc Wiley

Wabishaw Spencer Wiley
(Doc, Bill)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• Schools Howard University, Wiley College, Arkansas Baptist College
• Debut 1923
• Final Game 1923
• Born February 1, 1887 in Vernon, LA USA
• Died November 3, 1944 in Jersey City, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Doc Wiley was a top Negro League catcher of the Deadball Era. He was frequently the catcher for Smokey Joe Williams, his long-time teammate with the New York Lincoln Giants.

Wiley debuted in 1910 with the West Baden Sprudels, hitting .067. He was hitless in five games for the 1911 Brooklyn Royal Giants then hit .375 for them in 1912 while sharing the catching with Pearl Webster. He moved to the Lincoln Giants in 1913 and batted .286, 4th-best in the east. Doc hit .444 in 1914, third in the east behind Louis Santop and Spot Poles. He tied for the lead with one triple and tied for second with one homer. He went 0 for 4 against white major leaguers that fall. In 1915, the Oklahoma native (who was part Indian) hit .481. He went 7 for 18 against white major leaguers in fall exhibitions.

In 1916, Doc moved to first base and again hit .481, then fell to .234 in 1917. An outfielder in 1918, he hit .450. He spent part of 1918 and 1919 in the US Army Dental Corps (Wiley had gone to Howard University School of Dentistry). Upon his return to the diamond in 1919, he hit .297 and caught. He hit .500 in 1920, remained a starter in 1921 and 1922, hit .239 in 1923 and moved to the bench in 1924.

Wiley was an expert skeet shooter. After his baseball career ended, he worked as a dentist in Newark, NJ and East Orange, NJ. He made the initial ballot for the 2006 Special Committee on the Negro Leagues Election.

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway

Related Sites

• Doc Wiley at the SABR Bio Project