Spot Poles

From BR Bullpen

Spotswood Poles

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 165 lbs.
• Negro Leagues Debut 1908
• Negro Leagues Final Game 1923
• Born December 9, 1887, Winchester, VA
• Died September 12, 1962, Harrisburg, PA

Spot 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 (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.

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.