Jack Spring

Jack Russell Spring

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
• School Gonzaga University, Washington State University
• High School Lewis & Clark High School (Spokane)
• Debut April 16, 1955
• Final Game August 31, 1965
• Born March 11, 1933 in Spokane, WA USA
• Died August 2, 2015 in Spokane, WA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Left-hand relief pitcher Jack Spring was one of the "throw-in" players in the infamous Cubs-Cardinals trade of Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock at the trading deadline on June 15, 1964. Spring went along with with Brock from the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs and Cardinals were just two of the seven teams Jack pitched for in eight seasons spanning the years from 1955 to 1965.

Spring recalled the first major league game he ever saw. "I thought I might play in the first game I would see. It was the Saturday Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. I was up and throwing in the bullpen in the late innings, but Robin Roberts finished the game."

Along with the Phillies, Jack was also with the Boston Red Sox briefly in 1957 and the Washington Senators in 1958 before returning to the majors with the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961. Jack was used exclusively in short relief against left-handed hitters and went 10-2 plus 8 saves in three years, 1961, 1962 and 1963. The Cleveland Indians were his seventh and last stop in 1965, finishing out his eight-year major league run at 12-5 with a 4.26 ERA while appearing in 155 games.

In all his travels, Spring had spent extensive time in the minor leagues, 16 seasons from 1952 through 1969 to be exact. The left-hander wound up his minor league baseball career at the age of 36 with 107 wins and 104 losses with a 3.53 ERA, appearing in 570 games and pitching 1,794 innings.

After his active playing days were finished, Spring tried his hand at managing and in 1972 he led the Walla Walla Rainbows to a first-place finish in the South Standings of the class A Northwest League and then again in 1976 he guided the Portland Mavericks to the title in the North Standings of the same Northwest League.

A graduate of Washington State University with a degree in education, Spring was a teacher, coach, and athletic director at West Valley High School in Spokane, WA, until retiring in 1994 in Colbert, Washington. He died in Spokane in 2015 at the age of 82.

Minor League Managing Career

Year	League	Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Fin	Managers
1972	Northwest League (North Div)	Walla Walla Rainbows	41	39	.513	-	1	Jack Spring
1976	Northwest League (South Div)	Portland Mavericks	40	32	.556	-	1	Jack Spring

1972 Playoffs: Lewiston declared winner under league rules.
1976 Playoffs: Walla Walla 2 games, Portland 1.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• Jack Spring at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page
• Jack Spring Card