Joe Sparks

Who is Joe Sparks?

Joseph Everett Sparks is a retired American professional baseball player, manager, coach and scout. A former infielder in the minor leagues, Sparks batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood 6 feet tall and weighed 195 pounds during his active career.

Sparks managed in minor league baseball for all or part of 20 seasons in the farm systems of the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers and compiled a career won/loss mark of 1,330–1,247. From 1986–1988, he won three consecutive American Association championships while at the helm of the Indianapolis Indians, then Montreal's top affiliate. He also won the championship of the Class A Northern League in 1970, his maiden season as a manager.

Sparks served one-year coaching terms in Major League Baseball with the White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Expos and New York Yankees, and was an advance scout for the St. Louis Cardinals for eight seasons. He then served in the same role for the Oakland Athletics.

His son, Greg Sparks, a former minor league first baseman and manager, is the hitting coach for the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.