Spot Poles
Encyclopedia
Spottswood Poles was an American
outfielder
in baseball
's Negro Leagues
. Born in Winchester, Virginia
, he died at age 74 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
.
He was generally recognized as one of the fastest players of his day. His speed was said to be compared to that of Cool Papa Bell, a star of the Negro Leagues of the 1930s, and Ty Cobb
. He was a left-handed batter with a noted eye, who hit for exceptionally high batting average
s. He started playing organized Negro ball for the Harrisburg Colored Giants in 1906 and first became a professional for Sol White
's Philadelphia Giants
in 1909. Poles soon followed White to the New York Lincoln Giants
in 1911, where he blossomed into a star; in his first four seasons with the Lincoln Giants, 1911–1914, Poles attained batting averages of .440, .398, .414, and .487 against all levels of competition. Poles then spent the next few seasons jumping among the New York Lincoln Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants
, and the Hilldale Daisies
. While Poles was with the Daisies, he joined the Army 369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters), attached to the French Army, to serve during World War I
, earning decorations (five battle stars and a Purple Heart
) for his combat experience in France as a sergeant. He returned home and continued a successful baseball career, playing for the Lincoln Giants from 1919 to 1923.
He is credited with a lifetime batting average of over .400 against all competition, and hit .319 in four winters in Cuba. A tantalizing aspect of his career is his success against white major league
teams. Poles hit .610 against these teams, including three consecutive hits off Grover Cleveland Alexander
. Poles spent his post-baseball years as a taxi cab operator and working at Olmsted Air Force Base
in Middletown, Pennsylvania
, enabling him to retire comfortably. Because of his Army service, Spottswood Poles was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Chicago Daily News image of Poles at Library of Congress
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
's Negro Leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
. Born in Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, he died at age 74 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
.
He was generally recognized as one of the fastest players of his day. His speed was said to be compared to that of Cool Papa Bell, a star of the Negro Leagues of the 1930s, and Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
. He was a left-handed batter with a noted eye, who hit for exceptionally high batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
s. He started playing organized Negro ball for the Harrisburg Colored Giants in 1906 and first became a professional for Sol White
Sol White
* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley * , by Sol White. Compiled and with an introduction by Jerry Malloy -External links:...
's Philadelphia Giants
Philadelphia Giants
The Philadelphia Giants were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1902 to 1916. From 1904 to 1909 they were one of the strongest teams in black baseball, winning five eastern championships in six years. The team was organized by Sol White, H. Walter Schlichter, and Harry Smith.- Founding...
in 1909. Poles soon followed White to the New York Lincoln Giants
Lincoln Giants
The Lincoln Giants were a Negro League baseball team based in New York City from 1911 through 1930.- Founding :Jess McMahon, a white promoter, hired Sol White, former manager of the Philadelphia Giants, to put together a club...
in 1911, where he blossomed into a star; in his first four seasons with the Lincoln Giants, 1911–1914, Poles attained batting averages of .440, .398, .414, and .487 against all levels of competition. Poles then spent the next few seasons jumping among the New York Lincoln Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants
Brooklyn Royal Giants
The Brooklyn Royal Giants were a professional baseball team based in Brooklyn, New York which played in the Negro Leagues. They were one of the premier professional teams before World War I, winning multiple championships in the East.- League play :...
, and the Hilldale Daisies
Hilldale Club
The Hilldale Athletic Club was an African American professional baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia....
. While Poles was with the Daisies, he joined the Army 369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters), attached to the French Army, to serve during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, earning decorations (five battle stars and a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
) for his combat experience in France as a sergeant. He returned home and continued a successful baseball career, playing for the Lincoln Giants from 1919 to 1923.
He is credited with a lifetime batting average of over .400 against all competition, and hit .319 in four winters in Cuba. A tantalizing aspect of his career is his success against white major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams. Poles hit .610 against these teams, including three consecutive hits off Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
. Poles spent his post-baseball years as a taxi cab operator and working at Olmsted Air Force Base
Olmsted Air Force Base
Harrisburg Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania. It is located west-southwest of Middletown, Pennsylvania....
in Middletown, Pennsylvania
Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, enabling him to retire comfortably. Because of his Army service, Spottswood Poles was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame candidate biography
- Baseball Library profile
- http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Spot_Poles_1887 "he collected 25 hits in 41 at-bats for an amazing .610 average."
Chicago Daily News image of Poles at Library of Congress