Happy Saturday!
The summer of ’98.
Quite the summer.
McGwire and Sosa were chasing history.
Baseball was rolling again.
Then.
Along came a guy by the name of Shane Spencer.
Original photo by YES Network via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0. Adapted into pop art.
Shane Spencer?
The little-known September call-up.
Eight years in the Yankees’ minor-league system.
Finally, he got his chance.
And did he deliver.
In 14 games, Spencer hit eight home runs.
Including three grand slams over a 10-day stretch!
Talk about catching lightning in a bottle.
While the country was fixated on McGwire and Sosa, the legend of Roy Hobbs was alive and well in New York City.
Even broadcaster John Sterling got in on the act:
Joe Torre pop art adapted from a Wikimedia Commons photo originally uploaded by Googie man. The adaptation is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Manager Joe Torre summed it up:
If I’m dreaming, I want to stay asleep.
For the season, Spencer hit 10 home runs in just 67 at-bats.
He made the playoff roster—and homered in each of his first two postseason games on New York’s way to a World Series title.
He even made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
From riding the buses in the minors to a ticker-tape parade along the Canyon of Heroes.
Pretty, pretty good.
And Tony Gwynn
Spencer grew up in San Diego, a big-time Padres fan.
Tony Gwynn was his guy.
Now he was facing his beloved Padres in the 1998 World Series.
Playing left field, Spencer caught a line drive off Gwynn’s bat. He joked that he wanted to put the ball in his pocket and head home.
The Yankees swept San Diego.
A championship for Spencer.
The first of three straight titles for the Bronx Bombers.
“You see so many guys play 15 years and I get to do it my first 3 or 4 years. You can call it lucky timing or whatever. I was very fortunate.”
But before you knew it, it was over.
Spencer signed with Cleveland in 2003 and had a few more stops along the way.
Original photo by Dan Jeffery via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Adapted into pop art.
Seven big-league seasons. Then two more in Japan.
Fifty-nine big-league home runs. Three World Series rings. A lifetime of memories.
Has there ever been a more unlikely story?
So Whatever Happened to Shane Spencer?
After retiring, Spencer never really left the game.
I’m still in baseball.
He spent two seasons as a hitting coach in the farm system of his beloved Padres.
Then came three seasons with the Somerset Patriots, where he helped them win the 2015 Atlantic League championship. From there, he went to South Korea to manage.
These days, he runs youth baseball clinics and joins other former Yankees at fantasy camps and charity events.
A Personal Connection
And Spencer is active in supporting military families.
His father spent 20 years in the Navy, followed by 23 with U.S. Customs. His stepfather served in the Navy, too.
Obviously, it’s dear to my heart.
Spencer remembers his dad being away. Later, baseball made him the father who wasn’t always home.
He understands that being away is tough on the families—and the kids.
Spencer has also raised money for Tunnel to Towers, which helps provide homes for veterans and families of fallen first responders.
He’s a longtime supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project.
Shane Spencer is a baseball lifer.
As he once told The Athletic: “It’s the only thing I know how to do.”
Still teaching the game. Still a part of it.
Forever tied to that magical September of ’98—a month Yankees fans will never forget.
John Boxley
P.S. Who should we find next?
Big shout-out to Gary Grumbach for suggesting Shane Spencer.
Who’s the former big leaguer you’ve always wondered about? Hit reply and let us know. We’ll see what we can find.
Have a great weekend!
