Tully Sparks

{{Short description|American baseball player (1874–1937)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Tully Sparks

|position=Pitcher

|image=Tully Sparks.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1874|12|12}}

|birth_place=Etna, Georgia, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1937|7|15|1874|12|12}}

|death_place=Anniston, Alabama, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 15

|debutyear=1897

|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 8

|finalyear=1910

|finalteam= Philadelphia Phillies

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=121–136

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=2.79

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=778

|teams=

• Philadelphia Phillies ({{Baseball year|1897}})
• Pittsburgh Pirates ({{Baseball year|1899}})
• Milwaukee Brewers ({{Baseball year|1901}})
• New York Giants ({{Baseball year|1902}})
• Boston Americans ({{Baseball year|1902}})
• Philadelphia Phillies ({{Baseball year|1903}}–{{Baseball year|1910}})

}}

Thomas Frank "Tully" Sparks (December 12, 1874 – July 15, 1937), was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1897 to 1910. Sparks played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Giants, and Boston Americans. He was an alumnus of Beloit College.

In 1899, while with the Pirates, Sparks led the National League in relief innings pitched and ERA.{{cite book |author1=Charlton, James |author2=Shatzkin, Mike |author3=Holtje, Stephen |title=The Ballplayers: baseball's ultimate biographical reference |publisher=Arbor House/William Morrow |location=New York |year=1990 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ballplayersbaseb00shat/page/1025 1025] |isbn=0-87795-984-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ballplayersbaseb00shat/page/1025 }}

After retirement, Sparks worked a variety of careers, including cotton sales, real estate and ore salesman before making a career as an insurance executive. He settled in Anniston, Alabama in 1931 with a local insurance firm. On June 28, 1937, Sparks was diagnosed with heart disease, passing away on July 15 at the age of 62. His body was interred at Edgemont Cemetery in Anniston.{{cite news |title=Frank Sparks Funeral to be Held at 5 P.M. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-obituary-for-frank-spa/155416335/ |access-date=September 16, 2024 |work=The Anniston Star |date=July 16, 1937 |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}