Cory Joseph Spangenberg (; born March 16, 1991) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway ...

. The Padres selected Spangenberg in the first round, with the 10th overall selection, of the 2011 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2014 and played for them until 2018. Spangenberg played for the Brewers in 2019, the Lions in 2020 and 2021, and the Cardinals in 2022.

Early career

Spangenberg graduated from Abington Heights High School in

Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Clarks Summit is a borough in Lackawanna County, northwest of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 5,108 at the 2020 census. It is also the northern control city of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, I-476, th ...

, in 2009. During his senior year, he led the Abington Heights Comets varsity baseball team to a

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA) is one of the governing bodies of Secondary school, high school and middle school athletics for Pennsylvania. PIAA's main office is located in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harri ...

Class AAA state championship. Spangenberg attended the

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

(VMI) in 2010, and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

VMI Keydets The VMI Keydets are the athletic teams that represent the Virginia Military Institute. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I, and all but three compete in the Southern Conference (the exceptions being men's and women's swimming and diving ...

. He was named the

Big South Conference The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), ...

's freshman of the year. He transferred to

Indian River State College Indian River State College (IRSC) is a public college based in Fort Pierce, Florida, United States. Serving the Treasure Coast region, it is part of the Florida College System and offers associate and bachelor's degree programs as well as vocati ...

in 2011, stating that the military commitment of VMI took too much time away from baseball and his coursework.

Professional career

Minor leagues

The

(MLB) selected Spangenberg in the first round, with the 10th overall selection, of the 2011 MLB draft. Spangenberg signed with the Padres, receiving a $1.883 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He made his professional debut with the

Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays ...

and was promoted to the

Fort Wayne TinCaps The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The TinCaps compete in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Parkview Field. The TinCaps won the ...

in July. In 72 games between both teams, he batted .316 with three

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 44

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs). Before the 2012 season, MLB.com rated Spangenberg as the 81st best prospect in baseball. Cory Spangenberg

Spangenberg played for the

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team based in Lake Elsinore, California. The Storm compete in the California League as the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond, w ...

in 2012 where he hit .271 with one home run and 40 RBIs in 98 games, and Lake Elsinore and the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

in 2013 where he slashed .292/.346/.407 with six home runs and 51 RBIs in 130 games. He spent 2014 with the Missions. He missed two months of the season in 2014 after suffering a concussion, but was named the Texas League Player of the Month for July after returning to the Missions. Spangenberg, who had primarily played second base in his minor league career, also moved around the field in 2014, making starts at third base and in center field. In 66 games for San Antonio, he batted .331 with two home runs and 22 RBIs.

San Diego Padres

The Padres promoted Spangenberg to the Major Leagues on September 1, 2014, receiving a start at third base and recording his first Major League hit, a two-run single. He hit a

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...

off

Brad Ziegler Brad Gregory Ziegler (born October 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins. Ziegler was one of th ...

of the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

in his second Major League game. He played in 20 games in 2014, making starts at third and in left field. Spangenberg made the Padres'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster in 2015 as a bench player, making occasional appearances at second and third. By June 2015, Spangenberg began to gain playing time at second base, due to the struggles of

Jedd Gyorko Jedd Lindon Gyorko ( ; born September 23, 1988) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and third baseman, and current NCAA coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Los An ...

. He suffered a knee injury in late June and went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

, returning in mid-August. For 2015, Spangenberg finished with a .271/.333/.399 batting line and four home runs in 108 games, with 48 starts at second base and 11 at third base. Spangenberg was the starting second baseman on the

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Opening Day roster, but he tore his

quadriceps muscle The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

in April and played in only 14 games that season.

Jemile Weeks Jemile Nykiwa Weeks ( ; born January 26, 1987) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Pa ...

, and later Alexi Amarista and Ryan Schimpf, picked up most of the remaining time at second base. After competing with Schimpf for the starting third base job in spring training in 2017, Spangenberg was among the Padres' final roster cuts. Schimpf struggled with the Padres, and they recalled Spangenberg on April 25 after he batted .348 with the

El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team based in El Paso, Texas. The Chihuahuas compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) as the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Sou ...

. Spangenberg started slowly, but improved in the second half, putting up a .794

OPS OPS may refer to: Organizations * Obscene Publications Squad, a former unit of the Metropolitan Police in London, England * Oceanic Preservation Society * Office of Public Safety, a former US government agency * Orchestre philharmonique de Strasb ...

with eight home runs after the All-Star break and claiming the third-base position as Yangervis Solarte transitioned to shortstop in August. He finished with a .264/.322/.401 batting line and 13 home runs in 129 games, with 86 starts at third base, 12 in left field, and four at second. In 2018, he hit .235 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs. He was designated for assignment on November 20 and released the next day.

Milwaukee Brewers

Spangenberg signed a one-year deal with the

on January 4, 2019. He opened the 2019 season with the

. On May 14, he was designated for assignment. On August 24, the Brewers selected Spangenberg's contract. In Triple-A with the San Antonio Missions, he led the PCL with 28 stolen bases while being caught four times, and batted .309/.378/.498.

Saitama Seibu Lions

On December 6, 2019, Spangenberg signed with the

(NPB). After hitting .268/.326/.482 with 15 home runs in 2020 to go along with 12 stolen bases, Spangenberg re-signed a $1.4MM contract with the Lions for the 2021 season on January 14, 2021. He elected free agency following the 2021 season.

St. Louis Cardinals

On March 25, 2022, Spangenberg signed a minor league contract with the

. He began the season with the

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

. On July 26, the Cardinals promoted Spangenberg to the major leagues for a series on the road against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, replacing players who were not vaccinated against COVID-19. He appeared in one game as a defensive substitute for

Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...

, and was removed from the 40-man roster and returned to Triple-A on July 29. In 106 games for Memphis, he hit .236/.290/.385 with 10 home runs, 42 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.

Personal life

Spangenberg and his wife, Julie, had a baby during the 2020 season. On April 17, 2024, Spangenberg was named Lackawanna County's liaison for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

' Triple–A affiliate, the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

. He was offered the position after encountering Lackawanna County commissioner Matt McGloin at a trampoline park.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spangenberg, Cory 1991 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Japan Arizona League Padres players Baseball players from Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania El Paso Chihuahuas players Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne TinCaps players Indian River State Pioneers baseball players Lake Elsinore Storm players Leones del Escogido players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops Major League Baseball third basemen Memphis Redbirds players Milwaukee Brewers players Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders People from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Peoria Javelinas players Saitama Seibu Lions players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players St. Louis Cardinals players VMI Keydets baseball players