Vern Spencer
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1920)
Vern Spencer was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball in 1920 for the New York Giants. In 45 career games, he hit .200 with 28 hits 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 165 lb
- Died
- 6/3/1971 in Wixom, MI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1920-07-04
- Last Game
- 1920-10-01
Full name: Vernon Murray Spencer
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 140 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 17 | .200 | .258 | .257 | .515 | -568 |
Career AVG .200 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — 26.5% below league average.
Career OBP .258 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 22.2% below league average.
Career SLG .257 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — 29.2% below league average.
Career OPS .515 vs. league average .695 across their career seasons — 25.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | NY1 | NL | 45 | 140 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 17 | .200 | .271 (-26%) | .331 (-22%) | .363 (-29%) | .694 (-26%) | -567.7 |
| Career · 1 season | 45 | 140 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 17 | .200 | — | — | — | — | -568 | ||
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 (45 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 22 | 65 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 11 | .169 |
| Away | 23 | 75 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 8 | .227 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-10-01 | NY1 | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-17 | NY1 | PIT | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-12 | NY1 | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-09 | NY1 | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-03 | NY1 | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-08-31 | NY1 | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-08-30 | NY1 | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1920-08-30 | NY1 | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-08-29 | NY1 | CIN | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-08-28 | NY1 | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Center Field | 37 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Vern Spencer: the record in brief
According to the bio, Vern Spencer debuted on July 4, 1920 and played a final game on October 1, 1920. The team column never changes: it is the New York Giants in 1920. Spencer is listed as an outfielder at 165 pounds on a 5-foot-7 frame. The bio says Spencer batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Spencer was born on February 4, 1894, in Wixom, MI, USA. The bio records the death on June 3, 1971, in Wixom, MI, USA. Spencer's full given name, per the bio, is Vernon Murray Spencer.
Across 45 games at the plate, Spencer's career line reads 28 hits in 140 at bats for a .200 average, adding 19 runs batted in. Spencer's career OPS of .515 combines a .258 on-base mark with .257 slugging. Set against a .272 league average for the same years, Spencer's .200 average sits 26.5% below it. By OPS the gap is 25.8% below league average (.515 against .695). Only one season appears, 1920 for the New York Giants, when Spencer played 45 games and went 28 for 140. That year the league hit .271, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vern Spencer
- Was Vern Spencer a pitcher?
- No. Vern Spencer was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Vern Spencer hit?
- Vern Spencer hit 0 career home runs with 28 hits.
- What teams did Vern Spencer play for?
- Vern Spencer played for one team, the New York Giants (1920).
- What were Vern Spencer's career stats?
- In 45 games, Vern Spencer had 28 hits, 19 RBI, 15 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .200 batting average.
- What position did Vern Spencer play?
- Vern Spencer played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Vern Spencer and how much did he weigh?
- Vern Spencer was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 165 pounds.
- What was Vern Spencer's career batting average?
- Vern Spencer batted .200 over his career, with 28 hits in 140 at bats.
- How many RBI did Vern Spencer have?
- Vern Spencer drove in 19 runs in his career.
- Is Vern Spencer in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Vern Spencer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.