View source for Ed Sprague Jr.

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1967)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ed Sprague Jr.
|position=[[Third baseman]]
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1967|7|25}}
|birth_place=[[Castro Valley, California]], U.S
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 8
|debutyear=1991
|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 7
|finalyear=2001
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.247
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=152
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=558
|teams=
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1991}}–{{mlby|1998}})
* [[Oakland Athletics]] ({{mlby|1998}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1999}})
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|2000}})
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|2000}})
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|2000}})
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|2001}})
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1999]])
* 2× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1992}}, {{wsy|1993}})
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Baseball at the 1987 Pan American Games|1987 Indianapolis]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Baseball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Seoul]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball World Cup]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1988 Baseball World Cup|1988 Rome]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
}}

'''Edward Nelson Sprague Jr.''' (born July 25, 1967) is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] [[third baseman]]. He played 11 seasons in the major leagues from 1991 to 2001, with six different teams. He later served as the head baseball coach of the [[NCAA]]'s [[Pacific Tigers baseball|Pacific Tigers]] for 12 seasons, from 2004 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-04-11-16173969_x.htm |title=Ex-big leaguer Ed Sprague acknowledges using Andro, amphetamines |access-date=August 6, 2024 |agency=Associated Press |date=April 11, 2008 |work=USA Today |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023105641/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-04-11-16173969_x.htm |archivedate=October 23, 2012}}</ref> He is now the Oakland Athletics Director of Player Development.Sprague is the only baseball player ever to win the College World Series, an Olympic championship, and the World Series. He is also the only baseball player to win the College World Series two consecutive seasons and the World Series two consecutive seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gostanford.com/news/2020/12/7/athletics-farm-facts-vol-6.aspx |title=Ed Sprague's Title Trifecta |access-date=December 7, 2020 |author=Stanford Athletics |date=December 7, 2020}}</ref>

==College career and Olympics==
In college Sprague played third base, helping [[Stanford University|Stanford]] win [[College World Series]] championships in 1987 and 1988. In 1986, he played [[collegiate summer baseball]] with the [[Cotuit Kettleers]] of the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |access-date=January 9, 2020}}</ref> He collected an Olympic gold medal at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] on the men's baseball team. Because baseball was a demonstration sport [[Baseball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|that year]], however, the medals were unofficial and did not count towards respective countries' medal counts. 

Sprague is a member of [[Delta Tau Delta]] International Fraternity.<ref>The Rainbow, vol. 132, no. 3, p. 50</ref> He was drafted in the first round of the [[1988 Major League Baseball draft]] by the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].

==Major league career==
Sprague made his debut in 1991 for the Toronto Blue Jays and was a part of the [[1992 World Series|1992]] and [[1993 World Series]] championships. He hit the game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 1992 Series against the [[Atlanta Braves]]. His best individual year came in 1996 when he hit .247 with 36 [[home run]]s and 101 [[runs batted in]].

Sprague was a regular with Toronto until 1998, when he was traded to the [[Oakland Athletics]]. He was granted free agency at the end of 1998, and then played for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in 1999, for which he made his only [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] game appearance. That year, he hit .267 with 22 homers, 81 RBI and a .352 [[on-base percentage]], the best of his career as a regular player. In 2000, Sprague played for the [[San Diego Padres]] and [[Boston Red Sox]]. After becoming a [[free agent]] at the end of the year, he signed with the [[Seattle Mariners]] for the 2001 season, playing in 45 regular season games. He signed a minor league contract with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in early 2002, but did not return to the major leagues.

Sprague twice led the league in getting [[hit by pitch]]es and finished with a career total of 91. Sprague is the only baseball player ever to win championships in the College World Series, the Olympics, and the World Series.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080410%2FA_SPORTS%2F804100346 |title=Sprague admits use of Andro - Sports* - recordnet.com - Stockton, CA |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195807/http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080410%2FA_SPORTS%2F804100346 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sprague's final career totals include 1203 games played, 506 runs, 1010 hits, 225 doubles, 12 triples, 152 home runs, 558 runs batted in, a .247 batting average, a .318 on-base average, and a .419 slugging average. According to a report in the ''[[Stockton Record]]'', Sprague said he used performance-enhancing substances later banned by Major League Baseball and admitted hitting a home run with a corked bat.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/A_SPORTS/804100346 |title=Sprague admits use of Andro |access-date=January 12, 2009 |author=Jason Anderson |author-link=Stockton Record |date=April 10, 2008 |work=recordnet.com |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195807/http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/A_SPORTS/804100346 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Sprague was the head coach of the [[Pacific Tigers baseball|Pacific Tigers]] [[college baseball]] team from the [[2004 NCAA Division I baseball season|2004 season]] until he resigned following the [[2015 NCAA Division I baseball season|2015 season]].<ref name=pacificbio>{{cite web|title=#33 Ed Sprague|url=http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-basebl/coaches/sprague_ed00.html|work=PacificTigers.com|publisher=Pacific Sports Information|access-date=February 2, 2013|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924063216/http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-basebl/coaches/sprague_ed00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016, Sprague returned to Major League Baseball as a Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics. He was named Director of Player Development following the 2019 season.

==Personal life==
Sprague's wife, [[Kristen Babb-Sprague]], is an Olympic gold medalist in [[synchronized swimming]]. Sprague's father, [[Ed Sprague, Sr.|Ed Sr.]], [[pitcher|pitched]] in the majors from 1968 through 1976.

==Head coaching record==
Below is a table of Sprague's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.<ref name=bigwestmg>{{cite web |title=2012 Big West Conference Baseball Media Guide |url=http://www.bigwest.org/sports/baseball/info/records.pdf |work=BigWest.org |access-date=February 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114053711/http://www.bigwest.org/sports/baseball/info/records.pdf |archive-date=January 14, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref name=bigwestst13>{{cite web|title=2013 Big West Conference Baseball Standings |url=http://www.d1baseball.com/conferences/standings_bigwest.htm |work=D1Baseball.com |publisher=Jeremy Mills |access-date=May 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515004021/http://www.d1baseball.com/conferences/standings_bigwest.htm |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>
{{CBB yearly record start | type = coach }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Pacific Tigers baseball|Pacific Tigers]]
 | conference= [[Big West Conference]]
 | startyear = 2004
 | endyear   = 2013
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2004 NCAA Division I baseball season|2004]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 20–34
| conference   = 5–16
| confstanding = T–7th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2005 NCAA Division I baseball season|2005]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 30–28
| conference   = 9–12
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2006 NCAA Division I baseball season|2006]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 30–25
| conference   = 9–12
| confstanding = T–5th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball season|2007]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 16–43
| conference   = 3–18
| confstanding = T–7th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2008 NCAA Division I baseball season|2008]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 14–41
| conference   = 5–19
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2009 NCAA Division I baseball season|2009]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 21–32
| conference   = 9–15
| confstanding = 7th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2010 NCAA Division I baseball season|2010]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 31–23
| conference   = 12–12
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2011 NCAA Division I baseball season|2011]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 17–37
| conference   = 9–15
| confstanding = 8th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2012 NCAA Division I baseball season|2012]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 16–40
| conference   = 6–18
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2013 NCAA Division I baseball season|2013]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 15–39
| conference   = 7–20
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Pacific Tigers baseball|Pacific Tigers]]
 | conference= [[West Coast Conference]]
 | startyear = 2014
 | endyear   = 2015
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2014 NCAA Division I baseball season|2014]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 26–27
| conference   = 15–12
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2015 NCAA Division I baseball season|2015]]
| name         = Pacific
| overall      = 14–37
| conference   = 10–17
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason   = 
}}{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name       = Pacific
| overall    = 250–406
| confrecord = 99–186
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = 250–406
}}

==See also==
* [[List of second-generation Major League Baseball players]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=122612|espn=2486|br=s/spraged02|fangraphs=1012356|brm=spragu002edw|retro=S/Psprae001}}

{{Pacific Tigers baseball coach navbox}}
{{1987 Stanford Cardinal baseball}}
{{1988 Stanford Cardinal baseball}}
{{1988 MLB Draft}}
{{1992 Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{1993 Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays first round draft choices}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague, Ed}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox players]]
[[Category:Cardenales de Lara players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Cotuit Kettleers players]]
[[Category:Dunedin Blue Jays players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball third basemen]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Oakland Athletics players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma RedHawks players]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres players]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Castro Valley, California]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal baseball players]]
[[Category:Syracuse Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Tacoma Rainiers players]]
[[Category:Toronto Blue Jays players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:St. Mary's High School (Stockton, California) alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]