Charlie Sprague
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1887-1890)
Charlie Sprague was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1890 for the Chicago Cubs, the Cleveland Spiders, and the Toledo Maumees, a span of 4 seasons. In 60 career games, he hit .228 with 50 hits, 1 home runs, and 20 RBI. He also pitched in 24 games, going 10-7 with a 4.51 ERA.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 150 lb
- Died
- 12/31/1912 in Des Moines, IA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1887-09-17
- Last Game
- 1890-10-10
Full name: Charles Wellington Sprague
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 219 | 27 | 50 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 17 | 2 | .228 | .293 | .320 | .613 | -259 |
Career AVG .228 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.
Career OBP .293 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 12.4% below league average.
Career SLG .320 vs. league average .359 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.
Career OPS .613 vs. league average .694 across their career seasons — 11.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CHN | NL | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1889 | CL4 | NL | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1890 | TL2 | AA | 55 | 199 | 25 | 47 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 0 | .236 | .260 (-9%) | .336 (-10%) | .351 (-4%) | .687 (-7%) | -258.8 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 60 | 219 | 27 | 50 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 17 | 2 | .228 | — | — | — | — | -259 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CHN | NL | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 4.91 | 4.17 (-18%) | -657.4 |
| 1889 | CL4 | NL | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 27 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 8.47 | 3.93 (-115%) | -106.0 |
| 1890 | TL2 | AA | 9 | 5 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 122.2 | 111 | 53 | 78 | 59 | 3.89 | 3.88 (avg) | -1283.6 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 10 | 7 | 24 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 161.2 | 162 | 81 | 101 | 76 | 4.51 | — | -2,047 | ||
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.
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 24 |
| Left Field | 24 |
| Center Field | 11 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Charlie Sprague: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 17, 1887 and the final game on October 10, 1890, Charlie Sprague built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago White Stockings (1887), the Cleveland Spiders (1889), and the Toledo Maumees (1890). Born on October 10, 1864, in Cleveland, OH, USA, Sprague is listed as an outfielder and batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 150 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio records the death on December 31, 1912, in Des Moines, IA, USA. Sprague's full given name, per the bio, is Charles Wellington Sprague.
Across 60 games at the plate, Sprague's career line reads 50 hits in 219 at bats for a .228 average, plus 1 home run and 20 RBI. Reaching base at a .293 clip and slugging .320, Sprague finished with a .613 OPS. Sprague's .228 average ran 13.6% below the .264 that the league posted over the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 11.7% below league average (.613 against .694).
Frequently Asked Questions about Charlie Sprague
- What years did Charlie Sprague play?
- Charlie Sprague played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1890.
- Was Charlie Sprague a pitcher?
- Both. Charlie Sprague pitched in 24 games, going 10-7 with a 4.51 ERA, but spent most of his career as an Outfielder.
- How many home runs did Charlie Sprague hit?
- Charlie Sprague hit 1 career home run with 50 hits.
- What teams did Charlie Sprague play for?
- Charlie Sprague played for 3 teams: the Chicago White Stockings (1887), the Cleveland Spiders (1889), and the Toledo Maumees (1890).
- What were Charlie Sprague's career stats?
- In 60 games, Charlie Sprague had 50 hits, 1 home runs, 20 RBI, 27 runs, and 11 stolen bases, with a .228 batting average. As a pitcher, in 24 games, he went 10-7 with a 4.51 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and 161.2 innings pitched.
- What position did Charlie Sprague play?
- Charlie Sprague played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Charlie Sprague and how much did he weigh?
- Charlie Sprague was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 150 pounds.
- How many home runs did Charlie Sprague hit each season?
- Charlie Sprague's home runs by season: 0 in 1887, 0 in 1889, and 1 in 1890. His most in one season was 1, in 1890.
- What was Charlie Sprague's career batting average?
- Charlie Sprague batted .228 over his career, with 50 hits in 219 at bats.
- How many RBI did Charlie Sprague have?
- Charlie Sprague drove in 20 runs in his career.
- What was Charlie Sprague's career ERA?
- Charlie Sprague finished with a 4.51 career ERA, going 10-7 with 76 strikeouts.
- Is Charlie Sprague in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Charlie Sprague has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.