| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Harry Spalding | ||
| Date of birth | (1893-10-13)October 13, 1893 | ||
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, United States | ||
| Date of death | February 3, 1950(1950-02-03) (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Philadelphia, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Northeast Manual Training School | |||
| Lighthouse Boys Club | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1912 | Philadelphia | ||
| 1915–1916 | Disston A.A. | ||
| 1916–1917 | Bethlehem Steel F.C. | ||
| 1919–1921 | Philadelphia Merchant Ship | ||
| 1921–1922 | Harrison S.C. | 12 | (0) |
| 1924–1925 | Fleisher Yarn | 14 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1916 | United States | 2 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Dick Spalding | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1927, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 12, 1928, for the Washington Senators | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .299 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 25 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Charles Harry "Dick"Spalding (October 13, 1893 – February 3, 1950) was an Americansoccer andbaseball player. He played the first two games in the history of theU.S. men's national soccer team and competed in professional soccer for nearly fifteen years, primarily with teams based in Pennsylvania. Besides, Spalding spent two seasons in Major League baseball and later served as a first base coach. A lifelong resident ofPhiladelphia, he was inducted into theNational Soccer Hall of Fame in 1951.
Spalding attended the Northeast Manual Training School inPhiladelphia, where he was a multi-sport athlete. He then went on to play soccer with theLighthouse Boys Club as well as several other local Philadelphia clubs. In 1916, when called into the U.S. men's national team, he was with theDisston A.A. In the fall of 1916, he signed withBethlehem Steel F.C. of theNational Association Football League (NAFBL). However, he injured his knee and did not play consistently until January 1917. In November 1919, he signed withPhiladelphia Merchant Ship of the NAFBL. In 1921, he joined theHarrison S.C. of theAmerican Soccer League (ASL). He then spent the 1924–1925 ASL season withFleisher Yarn.
In 1916, theUnited States Football Association (USFA) recruited a team, called the All-American Soccer Football Team, to represent the U.S. on a tour of Scandinavian countries. At the time, these countries and the U.S. were all neutral during the ongoing World War I. During the six game tour, the U.S. played two recognized international games, one on August 21, 1916, againstSweden and another on September 3, 1916, againstNorway. There are disagreements about who scored the first national team goals. While theNational Soccer Hall of Fame lists Spalding, other sources state thatThomas Swords scored an unassisted goal against Sweden.[1] After this tour, Spalding never played for the U.S. again.
He was inducted into theNational Soccer Hall of Fame in 1950.[1]
In addition to his soccer career, Spalding was also a successful baseball player. In 1916, while a member of the U.S. national soccer team, he played in a baseball game against a Swedish baseball team fromVästerås. In 1927, he signed as an outfielder theNational LeaguePhiladelphia Phillies. In 1928, he moved to theWashington Senators of theAmerican League. Spalding also spent time in theInternational League where he played for theRochester Red Wings and theBuffalo Bisons.
Spalding's friendship withJimmie Wilson led to two stints as a first base coach. In 1934, Wilson hired Spalding as the first base coach for thePhiladelphia Phillies. In 1941, he was brought into theChicago Cubs, again by Wilson, to become the Cubs’ first base coach.
Spalding died in Philadelphia at the age of 56 after a long illness.