Charlie Spearman
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Charlie Spearman was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Royal Giants and the New York Lincoln Giants. In 179 career games, he hit .295 with 163 hits, 14 home runs, and 98 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 676.
- 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
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 172 lb
- Died
- 2/28/1963 in Washington, DC, USA
Full name: Charles Kenston Spearman
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 179 | 552 | 90 | 163 | 33 | 6 | 14 | 98 | 8 | 48 | 3 | .295 | .360 | .453 | .813 | 676 |
Career AVG .295 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .360 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .453 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career OPS .813 vs. league average .738 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | BRG | EAS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | BRG | EAS | 8 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1922 | BRG | IND | 4 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | BRG | ECL | 23 | 87 | 17 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .299 | .282 (+6%) | .344 (+8%) | .390 (+21%) | .734 (+15%) | 211.9 |
| 1924 | BRG | ECL | 28 | 93 | 13 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 3 | .204 | .283 (-28%) | .345 (-23%) | .389 (-31%) | .734 (-27%) | -409.4 |
| 1925 | BRG | ECL | 24 | 64 | 12 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .344 | .288 (+19%) | .349 (+4%) | .407 (+27%) | .756 (+16%) | 166.2 |
| 1926 | BRG | ECL | 20 | 57 | 4 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .316 | .279 (+13%) | .345 (+7%) | .390 (+44%) | .735 (+27%) | 234.3 |
| 1928 | NLG | ECL | 27 | 84 | 16 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .345 | .280 (+23%) | .342 (+16%) | .395 (+26%) | .737 (+21%) | 311.4 |
| 1929 | NLG | ANL | 44 | 124 | 17 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .298 | .289 (+3%) | .353 (+7%) | .415 (+5%) | .769 (+6%) | 161.2 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 179 | 552 | 90 | 163 | 33 | 6 | 14 | 98 | 8 | 48 | 3 | .295 | — | — | — | — | 676 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Away | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Last 4 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-09-01 | NYL | HIL | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929-06-06 | NYL | BLS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-08-03 | BRG | BLS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-08-03 | BRG | BLS | W | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 7 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 143 | 120 | 519 | 98 | 19 | 9 |
| OF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | BRG | 2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | BRG | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | BRG | 3B | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921 | BRG | C | 4 | 4 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1922 | BRG | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922 | BRG | C | 3 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1923 | BRG | C | 22 | 21 | 112 | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| 1924 | BRG | C | 26 | 24 | 114 | 30 | 4 | 1 |
| 1925 | BRG | 1B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BRG | C | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BRG | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | BRG | C | 13 | 13 | 56 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1926 | BRG | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | BRG | SS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1928 | NLG | 1B | 2 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1928 | NLG | C | 24 | 22 | 62 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 1929 | NLG | C | 37 | 33 | 130 | 18 | 8 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 143 |
| First Base | 7 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 4 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Charlie Spearman: the record in brief
The season rows for Charlie Spearman begin in 1919. Spearman played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1919 through 1926) and the New York Lincoln Giants (1928 through 1929). Spearman is listed as a catcher at 5'7" and 172 pounds. Spearman batted from both sides and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 3, 1891, in Arkadelphia, AR, USA. The bio records the death on February 28, 1963, in Washington, DC, USA. On the record, Charlie Spearman was born Charles Kenston Spearman.
Across 179 games at the plate, Spearman's career line reads 163 hits in 552 at bats for a .295 average, adding 14 home runs and 98 RBI. The on-base percentage is .360 and the slugging percentage .453, for an OPS of .813. Against a .283 league average for those years, Spearman's .295 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, Spearman's .813 stands 10.2% above the league's .738. No season topped the 37 hits of 1929. The RBI column peaks at 28 in 1929.
Frequently Asked Questions about Charlie Spearman
- Was Charlie Spearman a pitcher?
- No. Charlie Spearman was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Charlie Spearman hit?
- Charlie Spearman hit 14 career home runs with 163 hits.
- What teams did Charlie Spearman play for?
- Charlie Spearman played for 2 teams: the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1919, 1921–1926) and the New York Lincoln Giants (1928–1929).
- What were Charlie Spearman's career stats?
- In 179 games, Charlie Spearman had 163 hits, 14 home runs, 98 RBI, 90 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .295 batting average.
- What position did Charlie Spearman play?
- Charlie Spearman played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Charlie Spearman and how much did he weigh?
- Charlie Spearman was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 172 pounds.
- How many home runs did Charlie Spearman hit each season?
- Charlie Spearman's home runs by season: 0 in 1919, 1 in 1921, 0 in 1922, 2 in 1923, 0 in 1924, 3 in 1925, 2 in 1926, 3 in 1928, and 3 in 1929. His most in one season was 3, in 1925, 1928, and 1929.
- What was Charlie Spearman's career batting average?
- Charlie Spearman batted .295 over his career, with 163 hits in 552 at bats.
- How many RBI did Charlie Spearman have?
- Charlie Spearman drove in 98 runs in his career.
- Is Charlie Spearman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Charlie Spearman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.