Stan Spence | |||
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Center fielder | |||
Born: South Portsmouth, Kentucky |
March 20, 1915|||
Died: January 9, 1983 Kinston, North Carolina |
(aged 67)|||
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MLB debut | |||
June 8, 1940, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
October 2, 1949, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .282 | ||
Home runs | 95 | ||
Runs batted in | 575 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
Stanley Orville Spence (March 20, 1915 – January 9, 1983) was a Major League Baseball center fielder who played from 1940 through 1949 for the Boston Red Sox (1940–41,1948–49), Washington Senators (1942–47) and St. Louis Browns (1949). Spence batted and threw left-handed. He was born in South Portsmouth, Kentucky.
A part-time player for the Boston Red Sox during two years, Spence played his first full-season for the Washington Senators in 1942 and he responded ending third in the American League batting race with a .323 average behind Ted Williams (.356) and Johnny Pesky (.331). His most productive season came in 1944, when he hit .316 and posted career-highs with 18 home runs and 100 runs batted in. After serving in World War II in 1945, he returned to the Senators a year later and hit a career-high 50 doubles with 10 triples and 16 home runs. Spence did a second stint with Boston and ended his majors career with the St. Louis Browns. A four-time All-Star in 1942, 1944, 1946 and 1947, he also was considered in the MVP vote in 1942 and from 1945 to 1947.
Spence hit a pivotal single in the 1947 Major League All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. Prior to his at-bat, former teammate Bobby Doerr singled, stole second, and then took third on pitcher Johnny Sain's errant pickoff attempt. Spence's pinch single resulted in the final margin of 2–1.
In a nine-season career, Spence was a .282 hitter with 95 home runs and 575 RBI in 1112 games.