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{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=
|name=Jim Spencer
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date|1946|7|30}}
|birth_place=[[Hanover, Pennsylvania]]
|death_date={{death date and age|2002|2|10|1946|7|30}}
|death_place=[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 7
|debutyear=1968
|debutteam=California Angels
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 20
|finalyear=1982
|finalteam=Oakland Athletics
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average]]
|stat1value=.250
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=146
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=599
|teams=
* [[California Angels]] ({{baseball year|1968}}–{{baseball year|1973}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{baseball year|1973}}–{{baseball year|1975}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{baseball year|1976}}–{{baseball year|1977}})
* [[New York Yankees]] ({{baseball year|1978}}–{{baseball year|1981}})
* [[Oakland Athletics]] ({{baseball year|1981}}–{{baseball year|1982}})
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1973]])
* [[World Series]] champion ({{wsy|1978}})
* 2× [[Gold Glove Award]] (1970, 1977)
}}

'''James Lloyd Spencer''' (July 30, 1946 – February 10, 2002) was a [[Major League Baseball]] [[first baseman]]. Born in [[Hanover, Pennsylvania]], the left-handed Spencer was recognized for his excellent fielding ability, but also served in later years as a [[designated hitter]].

==Early years==
Spencer was drafted by the [[California Angels]] in the first round (11 overall) of the [[1965 Major League Baseball Draft]] upon graduation from Andover High School in [[Linthicum, Maryland]]. After [[batting average|batting]] .292 with 28 [[home runs]] and 96 [[runs batted in]] for the [[El Paso Sun Kings]] in {{baseball year|1968}}, Spencer earned a September call-up to the Angels. In nineteen games, he batted .191 with no home runs and five RBIs.

==California Angels==
Spencer began the {{baseball year|1969}} season assigned to the [[Hawaii Islanders]], but with former [[All-Star]] [[Dick Stuart]] not panning out at first base, he was back with the Angels by May. In just his second start of the season, he went four-for-five against the [[Baltimore Orioles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL196905310.shtml|title=California Angels 4, Baltimore Orioles 3|date=May 31, 1969|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> For the season, he batted .254 with ten home runs and 31 RBIs.

While Spencer's offensive numbers improved in {{baseball year|1970}}, his fielding improved more-so, as he led the [[American League]] with 1212 put-outs at first and a .995 [[fielding percentage]] to win the [[List of Gold Glove Award winners at first base|Gold Glove award]].

Injuries limited Spencer to 82 games in {{baseball year|1972}}. A month into the {{baseball year|1973}} season, Spencer was traded to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] with [[Lloyd Allen]] for [[Mike Epstein]], [[Rich Hand]] and [[Rick Stelmaszek]].

==Texas Rangers==
Spencer was batting .300 for the Rangers when he was named to the [[1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|AL All-Star team]]. He had one [[at-bat]] in the game, and flew out to [[left field]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS197307240.shtml|title=1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|date=July 24, 1973|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Despite the fact that Spencer committed just one [[error (baseball)|error]] in 1973 and one in {{baseball year|1974}}, he began seeing more time at DH with [[Mike Hargrove]] assuming most of the first base duties. He regained the first base job in {{baseball year|1975}} with Hargrove shifting to left field, but after the season, he was dealt back to the Angels for [[Bill Singer]] in order to allow Hargrove to shift back to his natural position. A day after acquiring him, the Angels traded Spencer and [[Morris Nettles]] to the [[Chicago White Sox]] for [[Steve Dunning]] and [[Bill Melton]].

==Chicago White Sox==
In {{baseball year|1976}}, Spencer had career highs in [[hit (baseball)|hits]] (131), RBIs (70) and [[stolen base]]s (6). He played 143 games, and only had 2 errors throughout the season, turning 116 [[double play]]s, good for a .998 fielding percentage.

On May 14, {{baseball year|1977}}, Spencer enjoyed a two home run, eight RBI game against the [[Cleveland Indians]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA197705140.shtml|title=Chicago White Sox 18, Cleveland Indians 2|date=May 14, 1977|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> He followed that up with a second two home run, eight RBI game on July 2 against the [[Minnesota Twins]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA197707020.shtml|title=Chicago White Sox 13, Minnesota Twins 8|date=July 2, 1977|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> For the season, he batted .247 with eighteen home runs and 69 RBIs, and won his second career Gold Glove.

Following the season, he was traded with minor leaguers Bob Polinsky and Tommy Cruz to the [[New York Yankees]] for [[Stan Thomas (baseball)|Stan Thomas]] and minor leaguer Ed Ricks.

==New York Yankees==
While backing up [[Chris Chambliss]] at first base, Spencer saw most of his playing time at DH in [[New York City|New York]]. He reached the post-season for the first time in his career in {{baseball year|1978}}. He did not appear in the [[1978 American League Championship Series]] against the [[Kansas City Royals]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1978_ALCS.shtml|title=1978 American League Championship Series|date=October 3–7, 1978|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> however, he appeared in four of the six games of the [[World Series]], and had two hits in twelve at-bats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1978_WS.shtml|title=1978 World Series|date=October 10–17, 1978|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

Spencer's career high in home runs (23) came in {{baseball year|1979}} with the Yankees, in a year that he only got 295 at-bats. He only had 85 hits on the season, 41 of which were for extra bases, giving his a .593 [[slugging percentage]]. Perhaps his most memorable at-bat of the season occurred on July 13 against [[Nolan Ryan]]. Ryan had a no-hitter going when Spencer hit a drive to [[Baseball field#outfield|centerfield]] in the eighth inning. [[Centerfielder]] [[Rick Miller (baseball)|Rick Miller]] made a diving attempt at the ball, but could not handle it. The official scorer ruled it an error.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3GgdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H1wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2315,4821498&dq=jim+spencer+new+york+yankees+nolan+ryan&hl=en|title=Ryan, Renko See No-hit Bids Spoiled in 9th Inning|date=July 14, 1979|publisher=The Pittsburgh Press}}</ref> [[Reggie Jackson]] officially ended Ryan's no-hit bid in the ninth.

During [[Spring training]] {{baseball year|1981}}, Spencer was dealt to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for [[Jason Thompson (first baseman, born 1954)|Jason Thompson]], however the trade was nixed by Commissioner [[Bowie Kuhn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vVgrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hdkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4590,92650&dq=jim+spencer+jason+thompson&hl=en|title=Yanks Get Jason Thompson, But Trade Might be Invalid|author=Catherine Wolf|date=April 2, 1981|publisher=The Daily Reporter}}</ref> On May 20, he and pitcher [[Tom Underwood]] were dealt to the [[Oakland Athletics]] for [[Mike Patterson (baseball)|Mike Patterson]], [[Dave Revering]] and minor leaguer Chuck Dougherty.

Spencer batted only .191 while in Oakland, and was released early in the {{baseball year|1982}} season.

==Career stats==
<div align="left">
{| class="wikitable"
|Seasons
|Games
|[[At-bat|AB]]
|[[Run (baseball)|Runs]]
|[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|[[double (baseball)|2B]]
|[[triple (baseball)|3B]]
|[[Home runs|HR]]
|[[Runs batted in|RBI]]
|SB
|[[Walk (baseball)|BB]]
|[[Strikeout|SO]]
|[[Batting average|Avg.]]
|[[Slugging percentage|Slg.]]
|[[fielding percentage|Fld%]]
|-
|15
|1553
|4908
|541
|1227
|179
|27
|146
|599
|11
|407
|582
|.250
|.387
|.995
|}
</div>
In 1973, Spencer had a .999 fielding percentage with only one error in the 125 games he played at first base. The next year, he had only 1 error in 60 games at first base, a .998 fielding percentage.

==Death==
On February 10, 2002, Spencer died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]. The night before his death, Spencer played first base in a charity baseball game benefiting the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in [[Hollywood, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/14/sports/jim-spencer-54-first-baseman-who-played-for-1978-yankees.html|title=Obituaries: Jim Spencer, 54, First Baseman Who Played for 1978 Yankees|author=Richard Goldstein|date=February 14, 2002|publisher=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> He was buried at the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church Cemetery in [[Taneytown, Maryland]].<ref>{{Find a Grave|14586158}}</ref>

==Sources==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=122584|espn=274|br=s/spencji01|fangraphs=1012325&position=1B|cube=Jim-Spencer|brm=}}
*[http://seamheads.com/baseballgauge/player.php?ID=122584 Baseball Gauge]
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pspenj101.htm Retrosheet]
*[http://www.purapelota.com/lvbp/mostrar.php?id=spenjim001 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League]

{{1965 MLB Draft}}
{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first-round draft picks}}
{{1978 New York Yankees}}
{{AL First Baseman Gold Glove Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Jim}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Burials in Maryland]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Caribbean Series players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:El Paso Sun Kings players]]
[[Category:Florida Instructional League Reds players]]
[[Category:Gold Glove Award winners]]
[[Category:Hawaii Islanders players]]
[[Category:Leones del Caracas players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players]]
[[Category:New York Yankees scouts]]
[[Category:Oakland Athletics players]]
[[Category:People from Hanover, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Quad Cities Angels players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Tigres del Licey players]]
[[Category:People from Linthicum, Maryland]]

Jim Spencer - Revision history

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