Joe Sparks

Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Joe Sparks was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Stars and the Chicago American Giants. In 114 career games, he hit .197 with 66 hits, 6 home runs, and 40 RBI.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .197
HR 6
RBI 40
H 66
OPS .623
PIV -660
Position
Second Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'8" / 160 lb
Born
9/1/1910 in Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Full name: Joseph Sparks

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Career Batting Statistics

Joe Sparks — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
114 335 46 66 13 7 6 40 5 39 7 .197 .292 .331 .623 -660

Career AVG .197 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 27.8% below league average.

Career OBP .292 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.

Career SLG .331 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 15.7% below league average.

Career OPS .623 vs. league average .733 across their career seasons — 15.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Sparks — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1937 SL2 NAL 16 62 12 16 5 0 2 10 0 7 1 .258 .276 (-7%) .342 (+8%) .398 (+9%) .740 (+9%) 115.8
1937 CAG NAL 29 88 8 13 2 2 0 8 2 11 4 .148 .276 (-47%) .342 (-29%) .398 (-46%) .740 (-38%) 115.8
1938 CAG NAL 20 48 10 10 1 1 2 7 1 8 0 .208 — — — — 2.8
1939 CAG NAL 33 94 12 20 3 4 1 13 2 8 1 .213 .274 (-22%) .342 (-18%) .393 (-8%) .735 (-13%) -224.2
1940 CAG NAL 16 43 4 7 2 0 1 2 0 5 1 .163 — — — — 0.0
Career · 5 seasons 114 335 46 66 13 7 6 40 5 39 7 .197 — — — — 10

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Pitching Statistics

Joe Sparks — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2.2 7 5 0 2 4 16.88 0.0

Career ERA 16.88 vs. league average 4.34 across their career seasons — 289.0% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Sparks — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1937 SL2 NAL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2.2 7 5 2 4 16.88 — 0.0
Career · 1 season 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2.2 7 5 2 4 16.88 — 0

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Joe Sparks — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 65 59 136 174 26 18
3B 5 3 2 5 0 0
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 1 1 0 0 0 0
SS 42 38 63 85 13 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Joe Sparks — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 SL2 2B 16 14 39 43 9 5
1937 SL2 P 1 1 0 0 0 0
1937 SL2 SS 1 1 1 2 0 1
1937 CAG 2B 29 29 58 75 10 7
1938 CAG 2B 3 0 2 4 1 1
1938 CAG 3B 3 2 1 3 0 0
1938 CAG SS 13 13 25 29 3 4
1939 CAG 2B 4 4 9 15 0 1
1939 CAG 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 CAG SS 27 23 35 53 10 3
1940 CAG 2B 13 12 28 37 6 4
1940 CAG 3B 1 1 1 2 0 0
1940 CAG OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1940 CAG SS 1 1 2 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Joe Sparks — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 1
Second Base 65
Third Base 5
Shortstop 42
Right Field 1

Joe Sparks: the record in brief

The season rows for Joe Sparks begin in 1937. Sparks played for the St. Louis Stars (1937) and the Chicago American Giants (1937 to 1940). Listed as a second baseman, Sparks both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5'8" and 160 pounds. Sparks was born on September 1, 1910, in Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Joe Sparks was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph.

Sparks finished with 66 hits from 335 at bats in 114 games, which works out to .197; the totals also include 6 homers and 40 RBI. Sparks got on base at a .292 rate and slugged .331 (.623 OPS). The league as a whole hit .273 across Sparks's seasons, which puts the .197 career mark 27.8% below average. The OPS comparison is .623 to a league .733, 15.0% below average. Sparks collected a career-high 20 hits in 1939. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .258 in 1937, did not top the league's .276.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Sparks

Was Joe Sparks a pitcher?
No. Joe Sparks was a position player (Second Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
How many home runs did Joe Sparks hit?
Joe Sparks hit 6 career home runs with 66 hits.
What teams did Joe Sparks play for?
Joe Sparks played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Stars (1937) and the Chicago American Giants (1937–1940).
What were Joe Sparks's career stats?
In 114 games, Joe Sparks had 66 hits, 6 home runs, 40 RBI, 46 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .197 batting average.
What position did Joe Sparks play?
Joe Sparks played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Joe Sparks and how much did he weigh?
Joe Sparks was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Joe Sparks hit each season?
Joe Sparks's home runs by season: 2 in 1937, 2 in 1938, 1 in 1939, and 1 in 1940. His most in one season was 2, in 1937 and 1938.
What was Joe Sparks's career batting average?
Joe Sparks batted .197 over his career, with 66 hits in 335 at bats.
How many RBI did Joe Sparks have?
Joe Sparks drove in 40 runs in his career.
What was Joe Sparks's career ERA?
Joe Sparks finished with a 16.88 career ERA, going 0-1 with 4 strikeouts.
Is Joe Sparks in the Hall of Fame?
No. Joe Sparks has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.