Al Spohrer
{{short description|American baseball player (1902-1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Al Spohrer
|image=AlSpohrerGoudeycard.jpg
|position=Catcher
|birth_date={{Birth date|1902|12|3}}
|birth_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1972|7|17|1902|12|3}}
|death_place=Plymouth, New Hampshire, U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 13
|debutyear=1928
|debutteam=New York Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 29
|finalyear=1935
|finalteam=Boston Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Batting average
|stat1value=.259
|stat2label=Home runs
|stat2value=6
|stat3label=Runs batted in
|stat3value=199
|teams=
- New York Giants (1928)
- Boston Braves (1928–1935)
}}
Alfred Ray Spohrer (December 3, 1902 – July 17, 1972), was an American professional baseball player.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/spohral01.shtml |title=Al Spohrer statistics |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=23 February 2011 }} He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Giants and Boston Braves.
Baseball career
He began his professional baseball career in {{Baseball year|1921}} at the age of 18 with the Winston-Salem Twins of the Piedmont League.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=spohre001alf |title=Al Spohrer minor league statistics |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=23 February 2011 }} In {{Baseball year|1927}} he joined the Wilkes-Barre Barons where he posted a .333 batting average in 98 games, winning the Most Valuable Player Award for the New York–Pennsylvania League.{{cite news |title=Catcher Al Spohrer Has Wife Arrested |agency=Associated Press |work=Reading Eagle |page=15 |date=7 August 1934 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PZ4hAAAAIBAJ&pg=4347,1365136&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}} The Barons sold Spohrer's contract to John McGraw's New York Giants for $10,000, a record for a Class B player at the time.
Spohrer made his major league debut with the New York Giants on April 13, 1928 at the age of 25 but, after only two games, he was traded along with Virgil Barnes, Ben Cantwell and Bill Clarkson to the Boston Braves for Joe Genewich.{{cite news |title=McGraw Lavish in Barter To Obtain Genewich for Giants |agency=United Press International |work=The Border Cities Star |page=2 |date=16 June 1928 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nsVEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4075,2079128&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}} He served as a backup catcher for the Braves working behind Zack Taylor in 1928.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BSN/1928.shtml |title=1928 Boston Braves |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=22 February 2011 }} In 1929, Taylor was traded to the Chicago Cubs and Spohrer became the Braves starting catcher, posting a .272 batting average with 21 doubles and 48 runs batted in. Although he led National League catchers in errors, he finished second in games caught and third in putouts.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1929-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1929 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=22 February 2011 }}
Spohrer had his best season offensively in 1930 when he posted a .361 on-base percentage, a .441 slugging percentage and led the Braves with a .317 batting average in 112 games. That season, a lively ball wound with special Australian wool was used by major league baseball, resulting in a league batting average that was above .300 for the only time in baseball history.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3jADAAAAMBAJ&q=hack+wilson+baseball+digest&pg=PA78 |title=Hack Wilson Belted Homers, Hecklers with Equal Gusto |author=Holway, John |date=June 1996 |work=Baseball Digest |access-date=28 February 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hibavg4.shtml |title=League by League Totals for Batting Average |publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date=1 March 2011 }} In {{Baseball year|1931}}, the National League introduced a new, heavier ball to counteract the prodigious offensive statistics of the previous year.{{cite news |title=National League Changes Ball To Curtail Slugging |agency=Associated Press |work=St. Petersburg Times |page=2 |date=4 February 1931 |access-date=1 March 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SStPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6893,1920686&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en}} The raised stitching on the ball allowed pitchers to grip the ball better and throw sharper curveballs.
From 1933 to 1935 Spohrer shared catching duties with Shanty Hogan who had been obtained from the New York Giants. In February 1936, Spohrer was released to the Columbus Red Birds of the American Association.{{cite news |title=Playing Square |work=The Evening Independent |page=6 |date=29 February 1936 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EvZPAAAAIBAJ&pg=2519,2946402&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}} He decided to retire as a baseball player at the age of 32 rather than play in the minor leagues.{{cite news |title=By Harry Grayson |work=The Bulletin |page=2 |date=31 March 1936 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mE9PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4430,5835124&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}}
Spohrer is remembered for a game in {{Baseball year|1929}} against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field when, he tried to distract one of baseball's greatest hitters during an at bat. Rogers Hornsby, who had been Spohrer's teammate on the Braves in {{Baseball year|1928}} before being traded to the Cubs, was known for his love of a good steak dinner. As Hornsby stepped up to home plate to take his turn at bat, Spohrer made an attempt to distract him from his hitting by talking about the great steaks available from a butcher back home in Boston. Hornsby replied, "Is that so?" as the first pitch was a called strike. Spohrer proceeded to tell Hornsby that his wife was also an extremely capable cook as strike two was called. Spohrer continued with his ruse by telling Hornsby that during his next visit to Boston, he was welcome to the Spohrer household to try one of these steaks whereupon, Hornsby proceeded to hit the next pitch out of the park for a home run. After rounding the bases and touching home plate, Hornsby was said to have asked Spohrer, "What night shall we make it, Al?"{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jS0DAAAAMBAJ&q=al+spohrer+baseball+digest&pg=PA17 |title=Rogers Hornsby's Epitaph: For Five Straight Years He Hit .402! |author=Meany, Tom |date=March 1963 |work=Baseball Digest |access-date=22 February 2011 }}
In January {{Baseball year|1930}}, Spohrer tried his hand at boxing, losing in four rounds by technical knockout to Chicago White Sox player Art Shires at the Boston Garden.{{cite news |title=Art Shires Win Technical Knockout Over Al Spohrer |agency=Associated Press |work=The Day |page=10 |date=11 January 1930 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YpArAAAAIBAJ&pg=5089,3846968&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}} Coincidentally, the two players became roommates when Shires joined the Braves in 1932.{{cite news |title=Al Spohrer Chosen As Art Shires' Roommate |agency=Associated Press |work=Reading Eagle |page=10 |date=29 January 1932 |access-date=23 February 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A5AzAAAAIBAJ&pg=2724,4845373&dq=al+spohrer&hl=en}}
Career statistics
In an 8-year major league career, Spohrer played in 756 games, accumulating 575 hits in 2,218 at bats for a .259 career batting average along with 6 home runs, 199 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .301. He retired with a .972 fielding percentage.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|br=s/spohral01}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spohrer, Al}}
Category:Major League Baseball catchers
Category:Baseball players from Philadelphia
Category:New York Giants (baseball) players
Category:Boston Braves players