Bob Spence
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1971)
Bob Spence was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1971 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 3 seasons. In 72 career games, he hit .202 with 37 hits, 4 home runs, and 19 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
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 215 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1969-09-05
- Last Game
- 1971-09-06
Full name: John Robert Spence
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 183 | 13 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 47 | .202 | .265 | .306 | .571 | -216 |
Career AVG .202 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 19.3% below league average.
Career OBP .265 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 17.5% below league average.
Career SLG .306 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 18.0% below league average.
Career OPS .571 vs. league average .694 across their career seasons — 17.8% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | CHA | AL | 12 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | CHA | AL | 46 | 130 | 11 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 32 | .223 | .253 (-12%) | .325 (-13%) | .385 (-6%) | .711 (-9%) | -216.1 |
| 1971 | CHA | AL | 14 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | .148 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 72 | 183 | 13 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 47 | .202 | — | — | — | — | -216 | ||
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
View full game log (72 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 43 | 107 | 7 | 23 | 3 | 12 | .215 |
| Away | 29 | 75 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 7 | .187 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-06 | CHW | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-04 | CHW | KCR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-09-03 | CHW | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-08-03 | CHW | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-01 | CHW | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-31 | CHW | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971-07-27 | CHW | NYY | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-07-24 | CHW | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-07-22 | CHW | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-07-21 | CHW | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 50 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara | CA | 1966 |
Bob Spence: the record in brief
According to the bio, Bob Spence debuted on September 5, 1969 and played a final game on September 6, 1971. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago White Sox from 1969 to 1971. Spence played primarily as a first baseman and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Born on February 10, 1946, in San Diego, CA, USA, Spence was listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. Spence's full given name, per the bio, is John Robert Spence.
Spence collected 37 hits in 183 at bats across 72 games, good for a .202 batting average, adding 4 home runs and 19 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .265 clip and slugging .306, Spence finished with a .571 OPS. Spence's .202 average ran 19.3% below the .250 that the league posted over the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 29, in 1970. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .223 in 1970, did not top the league's .253.
Spence appears at one position only: first base, in 50 games. At first base, Spence's fielding totals are 414 putouts, 32 assists and 3 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Spence
- What years did Bob Spence play?
- Bob Spence played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1971.
- Was Bob Spence a pitcher?
- No. Bob Spence was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bob Spence hit?
- Bob Spence hit 4 career home runs with 37 hits.
- What was Bob Spence's career batting average?
- Bob Spence batted .202 over his career, with 37 hits in 183 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bob Spence have?
- Bob Spence drove in 19 runs in his career.
- Is Bob Spence in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bob Spence has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.