March 11
Senators Birthdays
Jack Russell Spring B Mar. 11, 1933 Still Living
Another “baseball nomad”, pitcher Jack Spring would play for 7 teams over 8 seasons in a career that spanned 11 years. Originally obtained by the Philadelphia Phillies from Spokane of the Western International League before the 1953 season, Spring would make his major league debut with the Phillies in April of 1955. Pitching in 2 games, Spring would compile an 0-1 record with a 6.75 ERA.
Out of the major leagues in 1956, Spring would be drafted by the Boston Red Sox after the 1956 season. Spring would make just 1 appearance for Boston in 1957, pitching 1 inning, striking out 2. Traded to the Washington Senators in late June of 1958 for Bud Byerly, Spring would pitch in 3 games for Washington, compiling no official record but would surrender 11 runs in 7 innings of work, his ERA at 14.14 when he was returned to the Boston Red Sox in mid-July. The Boston Red Sox would then send Joe Albanese to Washington to complete the trade.
Not long after his return to the Boston organization, Spring would be traded to the Cleveland Indians. Spring would not pitch for Cleveland and would eventually end up with Dallas of the American Association where he pitched in 1959 and 1960, passing through the organizations of Cleveland, the Kansas City Athletics and the newly minted Los Angeles Angels.
Spring would make his way back to the majors in 1961 with the Angels. He’d compile a 3-0 record in 18 games in ’61. His most active season would be 1962 when he’d post a 4-2 record in 57 games, his ERA 4.02. Spring would have another good year with the Angels in 1963, again going 3-0 in 45 games.
He’d start the 1964 season with Los Angeles but after 6 games Spring was sold to the Chicago Cubs in mid-May. After 7 games with the Cubs, Spring was on the move again in mid-July, this time traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. (Spring was a part of the infamous trade that sent Lou Brock from the Cubs to the Cardinals.)
Spring would finish the 1964 season with the Cardinals pitching in 2 games.
Spring would be in for 1 last move, this time being purchased by the Cleveland Indians in mid-June of 1964. He’d finish the season, and his major league career, appearing in 14 games for the Indians going 1-2, his last major league appearance coming at the end of August.
