Joe Spencer

Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Joe Spencer was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the Birmingham Black Barons. In 98 career games, he hit .206 with 59 hits and 26 RBI. Joe Spencer was an All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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 .206
HR 0
RBI 26
H 59
OPS .498
PIV -607
Position
Second Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 151 lb
Born
8/4/1919 in Gretna, LA, USA
Died
5/17/2003 in Gretna, LA, USA
Awards
All-Star

Full name: Joseph Beverly Spencer

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Joe Spencer — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
351.0 323.0 31.0 64.0 6.0 3.0 0 17.0 22.0 3.0 2.0 .198 .249 .235 .484

Career Batting Statistics

Joe Spencer — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
98 287 30 59 6 1 0 26 4 23 1 .206 .265 .233 .498 -607

Career AVG .206 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 20.8% below league average.

Career OBP .265 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 19.9% below league average.

Career SLG .233 vs. league average .362 across their career seasons — 35.5% below league average.

Career OPS .498 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — 28.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Spencer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1941 BBB NAL 2 7 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 .571 — — — — 0.0
1942 BBB NAL 9 25 3 7 1 0 0 5 3 2 0 .280 — — — — 0.0
1943 HG NN2 20 56 7 13 0 0 0 2 0 6 1 .232 .255 (-9%) .324 (-6%) .346 (-33%) .671 (-20%) -146.9
1943 BEG NN2 2 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — -146.9
1943 NE NN2 3 11 1 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 .364 — — — — -146.9
1944 HG NN2 12 30 6 6 2 0 0 5 0 2 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1944 NBY NN2 9 32 3 7 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 .219 — — — — 0.0
1945 NYC NN2 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .333 — — — — 0.0
1945 BBB NAL 11 25 2 3 1 1 0 4 0 2 0 .120 — — — — 0.0
1946 NYC NN2 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1947 NBY NN2 8 28 3 6 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 .214 — — — — 0.0
1948 NBY NN2 20 58 5 8 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 .138 .263 (-48%) .340 (-36%) .379 (-64%) .719 (-50%) -459.9
Career · 12 seasons 98 287 30 59 6 1 0 26 4 23 1 .206 — — — — -901

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 (86 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Joe Spencer — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home339051403.156
Away53159163308.208

Last 10 Games — Batting

Joe Spencer — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1948-09-05 NY5NW2W 300000000
1948-08-08 NY5HOML 300000000
1948-08-08 NY5HOML 400000000
1948-07-27 NY5PH5L 301000000
1948-07-26 NY5NY6W 311000010
1948-07-25 NY5NY6W 401000000
1948-07-16 NY5NW2L 300000010
1948-07-10 NY5NY6L 310000010
1948-07-09 NY5NY6L 500000000
1948-07-04 NY5NY6W 500000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Joe Spencer — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 67 61 130 163 17 24
3B 20 17 19 26 4 0
OF 3 3 2 0 0 0
SS 5 5 8 13 4 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Joe Spencer — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1941 BBB OF 2 2 2 0 0 0
1942 BBB 3B 2 2 2 2 1 0
1942 BBB OF 1 1 0 0 0 0
1942 BBB SS 4 4 6 9 1 2
1943 HG 2B 16 15 30 39 4 4
1943 HG 3B 3 3 3 6 0 0
1943 HG SS 1 1 2 4 3 0
1943 BEG 2B 2 2 2 4 1 2
1943 NE 2B 3 3 9 8 0 1
1944 HG 2B 10 8 14 21 2 3
1944 HG 3B 2 0 1 2 1 0
1944 NBY 2B 9 9 21 30 2 6
1945 NYC 2B 1 1 1 1 0 0
1945 BBB 2B 10 8 19 26 3 3
1946 NYC 2B 1 1 1 5 0 1
1947 NBY 2B 3 3 9 7 2 0
1947 NBY 3B 6 5 6 11 2 0
1948 NBY 2B 12 11 24 22 3 4
1948 NBY 3B 7 7 7 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Joe Spencer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Second Base 67
Third Base 20
Shortstop 5
Left Field 1
Right Field 2

Joe Spencer: the record in brief

Joe Spencer's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1941 to 1948. The team column moves through the Birmingham Black Barons (1941 to 1945), the Homestead Grays (1943 to 1944), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1943), the Newark Eagles (1943), the New York Black Yankees (1944 to 1948), and the New York Cubans (1945 to 1946). Spencer, born on August 4, 1919, in Gretna, LA, USA, is listed as a second baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 5 feet, 9 inches and 151 pounds. The bio records the death on May 17, 2003, in Gretna, LA, USA. Spencer's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Beverly Spencer.

Across 98 games at the plate, Spencer's career line reads 59 hits in 287 at bats for a .206 average; the totals also include 26 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .265 and .233 give Spencer a career OPS of .498. Over the seasons Spencer played, league hitters batted .260; the .206 career figure is 20.8% below that.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Spencer

Was Joe Spencer a pitcher?
No. Joe Spencer was a position player (Second Baseman).
How many home runs did Joe Spencer hit?
Joe Spencer hit 0 career home runs with 59 hits.
What teams did Joe Spencer play for?
Joe Spencer played for 6 teams: the Birmingham Black Barons (1941–1942, 1945), the Homestead Grays (1943–1944), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1943), the Newark Eagles (1943), the New York Black Yankees (1944, 1947–1948), and the New York Cubans (1945–1946).
Did Joe Spencer win an MVP award?
No. Joe Spencer did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Joe Spencer win?
Joe Spencer was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
What were Joe Spencer's career stats?
In 98 games, Joe Spencer had 59 hits, 26 RBI, 30 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .206 batting average.
What position did Joe Spencer play?
Joe Spencer played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Joe Spencer and how much did he weigh?
Joe Spencer was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 151 pounds.
What was Joe Spencer's career batting average?
Joe Spencer batted .206 over his career, with 59 hits in 287 at bats.
How many RBI did Joe Spencer have?
Joe Spencer drove in 26 runs in his career.
Is Joe Spencer in the Hall of Fame?
No. Joe Spencer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Joe Spencer make?
Joe Spencer was selected to 1 All-Star Game.