Spider Jorgensen

Infobox MLB retired
name = Spider Jorgensen
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position = Third Baseman
birthdate = birth date|1919|11|3
deathdate = death date and age|2003|11|6|1919|11|3
bats =Left
throws = Right
debutdate =April 15
debutyear =1947
debutteam =Brooklyn Dodgers
finaldate =June 30
finalyear =1951
finalteam =New York Giants
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value =.266
stat2label =Home runs
stat2value =9
stat3label =Runs batted in
stat3value =107
teams =
*Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1950)
*New York Giants (1950-1961)
highlights =
*Participated in the 1947 & 1949 World Series
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John Donald Jorgensen (November 3, 1919 - November 6, 2003) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1947 through 1951 for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-50) and New York Giants (1950-51). Jorgensen batted left handed and threw right handed. He was born in Folsom, California.

Jorgensen graduated from Folsom High School in 1936 and attended Sacramento City College from 1937-38. In the 1950s, he played in the Pacific Coast League for the Oakland Oaks. He debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, the same day that teammate Jackie Robinson broke the professional baseball color line.

In parts of five seasons, Jorgensen was a .266 hitter with nine home runs and 107 RBI in 267 games played. His most productive season came in 1947, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.247), hits (121), at-bats (441), home runs (5), doubles (29), triples (8), runs (57), RBI (67) and games (121). He damaged his throwing arm by hunting that winter, injured it further in spring training, and his career declined. He appeared in the World Series in 1947 and 1949 and hit a combined .194 in 31 at-bats with three RBI. He was traded to the New York Giants during the 1950 midseason and made his last major appearance on June 30, 1951.

Following his playing career, Jorgensen coached the Fair Oaks American Legion team that won the North Division championship in 1967. Dusty Baker had been a member of that team. After that, Jorgensen worked as a scout for the Chicago Cubs for more than two decades.

In 1996, Jorgensen was in the first class of inductees into the Sacramento City College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Jorgensen died in Rancho Cucamonga, California, just three days after his 84th birthday.

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/J/Jorgensen_Spider.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jorgesp01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pjorgs101.htm Retrosheet]
* [http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/j/jorgensen_spider.html Historic Baseball]
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