Mike Spidale

Michael Charles Spidale

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, IL)

• Born March 12, 1982 in Broadview, IL USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Mike Spidale reached AAA in 2008, his 9th season in professional baseball.

Spidale was a 12th round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2000 amateur draft. He was signed by scout Nathan Durst and made his pro debut for the AZL White Sox, hitting .318/.379/.447 with 16 steals in 20 tries and 21 runs in 21 games. That earned Mike a ticket to full-season ball at age 19; he struggled, hitting .232/.331/.251 for the Kannapolis Intimidators, though he led the team with 35 steals (in 50 tries). The Illinois native returned to Kannapolis in 2002 and did far better, batting .291/.372/.358 though he was caught stealing in 25 of his 62 attempts. He fielded perfectly in the outfield. He led the South Atlantic League in failed steal attempts.

In 2003, Spidale put up a .262/.362/.349 batting line for the Winston-Salem Warthogs and he stole 25 bases while only being caught 7 times. He also hit his first career home run. He led Carolina League outfielders in fielding percentage (.989) and putouts (272) as he continued to show a fine glove.

Spidale made it to AA in 2004 with the Birmingham Barons and he had his best year yet, hitting .306/.393/.434 with 7 triples, 87 runs and 26 steals (caught 15 times, though). He led the Southern League in runs and was 6th in batting average. He was still just 22 years old.

In 2005, Mike struggled while playing for the Charlotte Knights (.230/.287/.273 in 46 G) and Winston-Salem (.250/.321/.264 in 39 G).

A free agent now, Spidale did not get a contract in 2006 until June, when the Philadelphia Phillies inked him to a deal. He made the most of this second chance, hitting .345/.418/.435 in 80 games for the Lakewood BlueClaws with 29 steals in 33 tries. Despite his long career, he was just about average age for the team. He led the South Atlantic League in average by .035 over Eugenio Velez, 5 years after he had first debuted in the circuit.

In 2007, Spidale split his time between the Clearwater Threshers (.285/.327/.346 in 58 G) and Reading Phillies (.314/.371/.402 in 68 G). His 10 triples led Phillies farmhands. He would have tied Brian Barton for second in the Eastern League in average behind Jordan Brown had he qualified.

Spidale split 2008 between Reading (.282/.335/.422 in 89 G, 18 SB in 19 Attempts) and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (9 for 61, BB, 3 SB in a rough AAA debut). He was on the Italian provisional roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Primary Sources

• 2001-2009 Baseball Almanacs