Spottswood Poles

Spottswood Poles
(Spot)

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 165 lbs.

• Debut 1923
• Final Game 1923
• Born December 27, 1887, Winchester, VA USA
• Died September 12, 1962, Harrisburg, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Spottswood Poles was one of the great Negro outfielders in the pre-league decades of the 20th century. A centerfielder, he was in his prime frequently compared to Ty Cobb as a batter and baserunner. He played for a number of top teams: the Philadelphia Giants (1909-1910), Lincoln Giants (1911-1914, 1917, 1919-1923), Lincoln Stars (1914-1916), Hilldale Club (1917, 1920), Bacharach Giants (1919), and the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1919). A consistent high-average hitter, he hit leadoff most of his career and was considered a top base-stealer.

Because most of his career pre-dates the formation of the Negro National League and Eastern Colored League, only his 1923 season with the New York Lincoln Giants, when he was already 35, is considered to have been in the "major leagues". That should not detract from his greatness, however, as he has been under consideration for induction in the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee, including in its deliberations as part of the 2022 Hall of Fame Election.

Poles served during World War I, earning five battle stars and a Purple Heart as a sergeant with the 369th Infantry. He resumed his baseball career after the war, but retired in 1923. He died in 1962 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Further Reading

• Matt Monagan: "The little-known legend of Spottswood Poles: Faster than Cool Papa Bell? A .610 average against MLB pitchers?", mlb.com, January 7, 2022. [1]