William Henry Spanswick (July 8, 1938 – December 2, 2020) was an
American professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who ...
. A left-handed
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
, Spanswick appeared in 29
games, seven as a
starter, in the
Major Leagues for the 1964
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
.
Spanswick was born in
Springfield, Massachusetts. Listed at tall and , he graduated from
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in
Enfield, Connecticut
Enfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, first settled by John and Robert Pease of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The population was 42,141 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and East Long ...
, and attended
The College of the Holy Cross. He signed with the Red Sox in 1958 and spent six years working his way through the Boston
farm system when he made the
1964 club out of
spring training. He stayed on the Red Sox roster for the entire campaign. His two MLB
victories came May 8 as a starter against the
Washington Senators and June 28 in
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
, with
bullpen ace
Dick Radatz
Richard Raymond Radatz (April 2, 1937 – March 16, 2005) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Monster", the , right-hander had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox in the e ...
getting
saves in each game.
Spanswick pitched exclusively in relief after June 19, 1964. In 65
innings pitched, he allowed 75 hits and 44 bases on balls, with 55
strikeouts. The 1964 Red Sox finished eighth in the ten-team
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
, with a 72–90 (.444)
record.
He returned to the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
in 1965 and retired after the 1968 season.
Spanswick was elected as a member of the inaugural class of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.
He died December 2, 2020, at age 82.
References
External links
1938 births
2020 deaths
Allentown Red Sox players
Baseball players from Springfield, Massachusetts
Boston Red Sox players
Hawaii Islanders players
Holy Cross Crusaders baseball players
Johnstown Red Sox players
Major League Baseball pitchers
People from Enfield, Connecticut
Baseball players from Hartford County, Connecticut
Raleigh Capitals players
San Diego Padres (minor league) players
Seattle Angels players
Seattle Rainiers players
Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players
Waterloo Hawks (baseball) players
Lexington Red Sox players
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