Ed Sprague Jr. is the only player to win it all at the Collegiate, Olympic and MLB level!
Sprague, whose father, Ed Sprague Jr. was a pitched in the bigs from 1968 to 1976, went to Stanford University in the late 80s and helped them win back-to-back World Series in 1987 and '88. And it was in 1988 that he helped United States win gold at the Olympics with a 5-3 win over Japan. The good year of Sprague continued when the Toronto Blue Jays took him in the amateur draft.
He did not make the club until 1991. And even then, it was for only 61 games. But Ed hit .275, which showed some promise. 1992 was a step back, as got into only 22 games and batted just .234. The Jays, who used him at third. first, catcher and DH, kept him on the postseason roster.
Sprague might have also been given some consideration for stating some games in the postseason. The regular third basemen, Kelly Gruber (who's position Sprague played in college), was in slump that stretched from game 3 of the ALCS to game 3 of the Fall Classic. Also, John Olerud, hit just .222 that year vs. left-handed starters.
Sprague got a hit of Dennis Eckersley in game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Then, The Eck fanned him in his only other plate appearance of the ALCS, in game 5.
The World Series seemed to be more of the same. The Jays were up against an Atlanta Braves team that had the pitching and hitting you need to make you some stiff competition. Sprague did not get into game 1. Nor did John Olerud, as Joe Carter played first. No DH, you see. Dave Winfield, who occupied that position for most of the season, was in rightfield. Atlanta welcomed Toronto to A Brave New World and beat them, 3-1.
Sprague and Olerud did play in game 2. And in the top of the ninth inning, Eddie came to bat as a pinch hitter for pitcher Duane Ward. Pat Borders had lined out to start this fateful inning, which Toronto trailed 4-3. Derek Bell, batting for Manny Lee, coaxed a walk from Jeff Reardon. But Jeff had come in to pitch the eighth inning, with the Blue Jays threatening to tie it. He fanned Gruber to end that. Jeff, though, was one of those one-and-done closers of that (and to this day) time. Coming in early is usually a mistake.
One that Sprague exposed with a home run on the very first pitch of his very first Fall Classic plate appearance. 5-4, Toronto. That was the final score. Sprague had become (one of) the most unlikeliest of World Series heroes.
Sprague would see more action, again pinch-hitting in game 3. The Jays had tied the game in their home half of the eighth inning. It had been a wild, first World Series game ever on Canadian Soil. Devon White and Otis Nixon, the Braves' centerfielder, had both made great catches.
But Kelly Gruber's home run in the bottom of the eighth had squared this thing, and you kinda got the feeling the Jays were the team of destiny here. They were, indeed!
Roberto Alomar, quite so far in the World Series, led off with a single. The Braves removed starter, Steve Avery and brought in Mark Wohlers. Alomar didn't care who was pitching. He stole second. Carter was walked intentionally. Winfield laid down a bunt. Mike Stanton came in to set up a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup with Olerud. But Sprague trotted out to bat and Stanton walked him intentionally. Candy Maldonado's dramatic single scored Alomar with the winning run.
In game five, with Toronto up three games to one, the Braves took a 7-2 lead behind started John Smoltz. But it was one of those games where he had trouble finding the plate. And, up to four walks and up to 114 pitches, he was removed in the top of the seventh, leaving with no outs and a runner on first. Mike Stanton came in to get the Braves out of the inning. He did just that.
But in the eighth, it was Carter with a leadoff single and a stolen base. Winfield, who had singled his previous time up, fanned. Sprague was sent up to bat for Olerud again. This time, all he could do was fly out. Carter made it to third after tagging up. But Maldonado ended the inning by grounding out to third.
Sprague stayed in the game at first. and Atlanta threatened in the top of the ninth.. Todd Stottlemyre pitched the inning. He got just one batter out before Mark Lemke singled to centre. When Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders followed with singles of their own, the Braves had the bases loaded. Terry Pendleton was the batter and Toronto needed a double play. He sent a fly to left that Maldonaldo made the catch on. But when Lemke hesitated before heading home with hopes of an eighth run, The Candy Man nailed him at the dish on a nice throw. Sprague never touched the ball. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame as the Braves forced a game six. So Eddie did not do a thing outside of pinch-hit and go to first with a glove. Toronto won game six in extras, 4-3. Eddie did not get into the game.
Sprague stayed with the Jays through 1998, and picked up another ring as a regular in 1993. But by winning a World Series in 1993, he had a nice "Big Three" in terms of winning it all.
Sprague, whose father, Ed Sprague Jr. was a pitched in the bigs from 1968 to 1976, went to Stanford University in the late 80s and helped them win back-to-back World Series in 1987 and '88. And it was in 1988 that he helped United States win gold at the Olympics with a 5-3 win over Japan. The good year of Sprague continued when the Toronto Blue Jays took him in the amateur draft.
He did not make the club until 1991. And even then, it was for only 61 games. But Ed hit .275, which showed some promise. 1992 was a step back, as got into only 22 games and batted just .234. The Jays, who used him at third. first, catcher and DH, kept him on the postseason roster.
Sprague might have also been given some consideration for stating some games in the postseason. The regular third basemen, Kelly Gruber (who's position Sprague played in college), was in slump that stretched from game 3 of the ALCS to game 3 of the Fall Classic. Also, John Olerud, hit just .222 that year vs. left-handed starters.
Sprague got a hit of Dennis Eckersley in game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Then, The Eck fanned him in his only other plate appearance of the ALCS, in game 5.
The World Series seemed to be more of the same. The Jays were up against an Atlanta Braves team that had the pitching and hitting you need to make you some stiff competition. Sprague did not get into game 1. Nor did John Olerud, as Joe Carter played first. No DH, you see. Dave Winfield, who occupied that position for most of the season, was in rightfield. Atlanta welcomed Toronto to A Brave New World and beat them, 3-1.
Sprague and Olerud did play in game 2. And in the top of the ninth inning, Eddie came to bat as a pinch hitter for pitcher Duane Ward. Pat Borders had lined out to start this fateful inning, which Toronto trailed 4-3. Derek Bell, batting for Manny Lee, coaxed a walk from Jeff Reardon. But Jeff had come in to pitch the eighth inning, with the Blue Jays threatening to tie it. He fanned Gruber to end that. Jeff, though, was one of those one-and-done closers of that (and to this day) time. Coming in early is usually a mistake.
One that Sprague exposed with a home run on the very first pitch of his very first Fall Classic plate appearance. 5-4, Toronto. That was the final score. Sprague had become (one of) the most unlikeliest of World Series heroes.
Sprague would see more action, again pinch-hitting in game 3. The Jays had tied the game in their home half of the eighth inning. It had been a wild, first World Series game ever on Canadian Soil. Devon White and Otis Nixon, the Braves' centerfielder, had both made great catches.
But Kelly Gruber's home run in the bottom of the eighth had squared this thing, and you kinda got the feeling the Jays were the team of destiny here. They were, indeed!
Roberto Alomar, quite so far in the World Series, led off with a single. The Braves removed starter, Steve Avery and brought in Mark Wohlers. Alomar didn't care who was pitching. He stole second. Carter was walked intentionally. Winfield laid down a bunt. Mike Stanton came in to set up a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup with Olerud. But Sprague trotted out to bat and Stanton walked him intentionally. Candy Maldonado's dramatic single scored Alomar with the winning run.
In game five, with Toronto up three games to one, the Braves took a 7-2 lead behind started John Smoltz. But it was one of those games where he had trouble finding the plate. And, up to four walks and up to 114 pitches, he was removed in the top of the seventh, leaving with no outs and a runner on first. Mike Stanton came in to get the Braves out of the inning. He did just that.
But in the eighth, it was Carter with a leadoff single and a stolen base. Winfield, who had singled his previous time up, fanned. Sprague was sent up to bat for Olerud again. This time, all he could do was fly out. Carter made it to third after tagging up. But Maldonado ended the inning by grounding out to third.
Sprague stayed in the game at first. and Atlanta threatened in the top of the ninth.. Todd Stottlemyre pitched the inning. He got just one batter out before Mark Lemke singled to centre. When Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders followed with singles of their own, the Braves had the bases loaded. Terry Pendleton was the batter and Toronto needed a double play. He sent a fly to left that Maldonaldo made the catch on. But when Lemke hesitated before heading home with hopes of an eighth run, The Candy Man nailed him at the dish on a nice throw. Sprague never touched the ball. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame as the Braves forced a game six. So Eddie did not do a thing outside of pinch-hit and go to first with a glove. Toronto won game six in extras, 4-3. Eddie did not get into the game.
Sprague stayed with the Jays through 1998, and picked up another ring as a regular in 1993. But by winning a World Series in 1993, he had a nice "Big Three" in terms of winning it all.
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