Spottswood
He was a black version of Ty Cobb
Bygone baseball by C. Philip Francis
By C. Philip Francis
Introduction:
It was in the late 1800’s when influential and powerful Cap Anson and other baseball officials made a Gentleman’s Agreement stating that they would not allow black players to perform in Organized Baseball. Although baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis continued to proclaim, “There is no rule, formal or informal, or any understanding – unwritten, subterranean, or sub-anything – against the hiring of Negro players by the teams of organized ball”, no black ballplayer wore a big league uniform in the twentieth century until Jackie Robinson donned the Brooklyn Dodger blue in 1947. The team owners had long been satisfied with their all-white leagues with no pressure on them to take in blacks.
Negro players began their own teams and leagues that carried on for over 50 years. The white baseball establishment had simply said, “The blacks have their leagues and the whites have ours.” The Negro Leagues did continue through 1960, but by then all Major League teams had signed their first black players. It should be noted that Negro League schedules and statistics were often less than accurate, if recorded at all. In the past twenty-five years interest in black baseball has mushroomed with books, the selection of outstanding Negro Leaguers by Hall of Fame’s Veteran Committee, and the continuing research of that subject by the Society for the American Baseball Research (SABR).
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He is called The Black Ty Cobb, and could be the fastest man who ever played in the Negro Leagues, even speedier than Hall of Famer Cool Papa Bell. The many who follow old-time baseball will know of Bell, Satchel Paige, Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson, and Turkey Stearnes, but few know the name of Spottswood Poles. (Note: His first name may be spelled with one “t”.)
Spottswood, or Spot, was born on December 9, 1887 in Winchester, Virginia, and lived most of his adult life in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Being black meant that he could not play in the white world of Major League Baseball during his baseball years, but did with the Philadelphia Giants, New York Lincoln Giants, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and the Lincoln Stars of the Negro Leagues.
The bowlegged 5-foot 7-inch, 165-pound switch-hitter began his professional career with the Harrisburg Colored Giants at age 19 in 1909. That same year he became the centerfielder and leadoff with the Philadelphia Giants where he stayed until moving to the New York Giants in 1911 where he hit .440 and stole 41 bases in 60 games. The following years came batting averages of .398, .487, and .610 against Major League players in ten exhibition games.
World War I was enveloping much of Europe, and when the United States entered the conflict in 1917 Spottswood enlisted in the 369th Infantry at the age of 30. While many believed that the black troops worked only behind the lines in menial jobs, Spot earned five battle starts and a purple heart (injured in action) during the heavy action in France.
The war ended in November of 1918, and Poles returned to baseball. He became tired of the constant traveling, and retired from the game in 1923. Poles went back to Harrisburg where he ran a taxi company and managed an all-black team.
Spottswood Poles was married to Bertha, but had no children. He did have a nephew named Reid who had often heard of his uncle’s baseball pursuits. The younger Poles said of his uncle, “I think he was a terrific player. He wanted me to play baseball in the worst way. I wasn’t tuned to it. He loved baseball. That’s all he would talk about.”
Reid did play for the Harrisburg Giants as a youth, and did see his Uncle Spot go to bat one time. Reid said that his uncle must have been in the 60’s, and did get a hit when he was sent in to pinch-hit.
It is believed that John McGraw, New York Giants manager for 30 years and winner of over 2,500 games, gave a sealed envelope to his wife to be opened upon his death. When he died in February of 1934 John’s wife read a paper that listed the names of certain black players that the New York skipper would have chosen for McGraw’s team had integration taken place in his managing tenure. The names listed were: John Henry Lloyd, Smoky Joe Williams, Dick Redding, and Spottswood Poles.
The Black Ty Cobb died on September 12, 1962 at a Veteran’s Hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania at the age of 74. Spottswood Poles was given his final military honor when he was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery at Washington, D.C. The marker at his gravesite reads as follows: Spottswood Poles – Virginia – Sgt Co H 369 INF – 93 Division – World War I – Dec 9 1887 – Sep 12 1962.
Spottswood may be the only professional baseball player who is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery, but, if not, he is certainly the greatest ballplayer among the thousands of the men and women who are at rest in the 612 acres that includes both the home of General Robert E. Lee and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.