Tully Sparks
Born: 12/12/1874 in Etna, GA, USA
Died: 7/15/1937 in Anniston, AL, USA
MLB Debut: 1897-09-15 | Final Game: 1910-06-08
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs
Full name: Thomas Frank Sparks
Biography
Tully Sparks was a professional baseball pitcher who made his mark in the Major Leagues from 1897 until 1910. Born in 1874, Sparks played during a transitional era in baseball, where the game was beginning to evolve with the introduction of more strategic pitching styles. Over the course of his career, he accumulated a record of 121 wins and 137 losses, showcasing his resilience on the mound despite the challenges of competition in the early 20th century.
Sparks finished his career with an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.82, demonstrating his ability to limit opposing teams' scoring opportunities. He recorded a total of 780 strikeouts, reflecting his effectiveness as a strikeout pitcher during a time when such feats were becoming increasingly valuable. Additionally, he contributed to his teams with 8 saves, highlighting his versatility and importance in high-pressure situations. Tully Sparks remains a notable figure in baseball history, remembered for his contributions to the sport during a formative period in its development.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 137 | 314 | 270 | 203 | 19 | 8 | 2343.7 | 2250 | 734 | 33 | 630 | 780 | 2.82 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | PHI | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 10.12 | 0.0 |
| 1899 | PIT | NL | 8 | 6 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 170.0 | 180 | 73 | 82 | 53 | 3.86 | -739.6 |
| 1901 | MLA | AL | 7 | 17 | 29 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 210.0 | 228 | 82 | 93 | 62 | 3.51 | -3784.3 |
| 1902 | BOS | AL | 7 | 9 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 142.7 | 151 | 55 | 40 | 37 | 3.47 | -1220.4 |
| 1902 | NY1 | NL | 4 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 123.0 | 142 | 57 | 41 | 42 | 4.17 | -388.8 |
| 1903 | PHI | NL | 11 | 15 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 248.0 | 248 | 75 | 56 | 88 | 2.72 | 900.4 |
| 1904 | PHI | NL | 7 | 16 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 200.7 | 208 | 59 | 43 | 67 | 2.65 | 670.1 |
| 1905 | PHI | NL | 14 | 11 | 34 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 259.7 | 217 | 63 | 73 | 98 | 2.18 | 40.3 |
| 1906 | PHI | NL | 19 | 16 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 316.7 | 244 | 76 | 62 | 114 | 2.16 | 1388.2 |
| 1907 | PHI | NL | 22 | 8 | 33 | 31 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 265.0 | 221 | 59 | 51 | 90 | 2.00 | 1740.8 |
| 1908 | PHI | NL | 16 | 15 | 33 | 31 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 263.3 | 251 | 76 | 51 | 85 | 2.60 | 631.8 |
| 1909 | PHI | NL | 6 | 11 | 24 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 121.7 | 126 | 40 | 32 | 40 | 2.96 | -1001.9 |
| 1910 | PHI | NL | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6.00 | -581.6 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 314 | 801 | 45 | 92 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 52 | 203 | 0.115 | 0.172 | 0.145 | 0.317 | -5644.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | PHI | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1899 | PIT | NL | 28 | 62 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 0.129 | -405.4 |
| 1901 | MLA | AL | 29 | 71 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0.169 | -359.4 |
| 1902 | BOS | AL | 17 | 52 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0.154 | -309.9 |
| 1902 | NY1 | NL | 16 | 40 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0.150 | -309.9 |
| 1903 | PHI | NL | 28 | 92 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 0.109 | -820.5 |
| 1904 | PHI | NL | 26 | 76 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.105 | -673.7 |
| 1905 | PHI | NL | 34 | 94 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0.128 | -684.7 |
| 1906 | PHI | NL | 42 | 104 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0.154 | -530.3 |
| 1907 | PHI | NL | 33 | 89 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 0.034 | -1075.5 |
| 1908 | PHI | NL | 33 | 77 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 0.052 | -784.5 |
| 1909 | PHI | NL | 24 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0.139 | 0.0 |
| 1910 | PHI | NL | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 314 | 169 | 107 | 544 | 46 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | PHI | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | PIT | P | 28 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 8 | 1 |
| 1901 | MLA | P | 29 | 0 | 6 | 60 | 8 | 1 |
| 1902 | BOS | P | 17 | 0 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 1 |
| 1902 | NY1 | P | 16 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 3 | 3 |
| 1903 | PHI | P | 28 | 0 | 14 | 59 | 8 | 0 |
| 1904 | PHI | P | 26 | 25 | 11 | 35 | 4 | 3 |
| 1905 | PHI | P | 34 | 26 | 9 | 45 | 0 | 3 |
| 1906 | PHI | P | 42 | 37 | 20 | 66 | 3 | 4 |
| 1907 | PHI | P | 33 | 31 | 10 | 50 | 4 | 1 |
| 1908 | PHI | P | 33 | 31 | 15 | 65 | 6 | 3 |
| 1909 | PHI | P | 24 | 16 | 4 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | PHI | P | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 314 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | Athens | GA | 1897 |