Orrin Sprogell

Orrin Aloysius Sprogell

• Born December 7, 1867 in Quakertown, PA USA
• Died September 27, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Orrin Sprogell was a minor league pitcher from 1889 to 1899, known at times as Oscar Sprogle. He was described as a gentlemanly man of fine habits. He was not a power pitcher, but was said to resemble Billy Rhines, mixing a peculiar underhand delivery with a straight-armed delivery. He began working in a Philadelphia printing press in his youth, and continued to work as a printer after his playing days.

Sprogell first pitched outside of Philadelphia in Milford, DE in 1888 and 1889, also moving up to Wilmington and Hazleton in the Middle States League in 1889. He began 1890 in Canada with the Hamilton Mountaineers in the International League. He went 6-8 with the club before the league folded in July. He then joined the Albany Senators in the New York State League, where he became the team's top starter, going 10-14 for a last place team. Albany moved up to the Eastern Association in 1891, keeping Sprogell on its staff, but released him in June, after he pitched 6 games, going 1-1. In 1892, Sprogell returned to New York with Elmira in the Eastern League, but after posting a 2-7 record, he returned to Philadelphia. He pitched later in the summer with Danville in the Pennsylvania State League and with the independent Brandywine team from West Chester.

Sprogell had a strong two-year stretch with Harrisburg in 1893 and 1894, going 18-14 and 17-18 during the two seasons. He got married after the 1894 season and did not play in 1895. From 1896 to 1899, he was with the Lancaster Maroons in the Eastern League. His strongest year in that time was 1897, when after going 3-8 with Paterson, he returned to Lancaster to go 17-5 during the rest of the season. He had other brief stops with Pawtucket in 1896 and Schenectady and 1899.

Related Sites

• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Orrin Aloysius Sprogell