Baseball Mourns the Passing of Tulane Hall of Famer Emmanuel "Tookie" Spann
Dec 23, 2015 | Baseball
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University community is mourning the loss of former baseball All-American and Tulane Hall of Famer Emmanuel “Tookie” Spann, who passed away on Dec. 16. Spann was 48.
A graduate of Brother Martin High School, Spann was a two-sport star at Tulane, suiting up for the baseball and football teams from 1984-88. Spann lettered from 1985-87 in football while picking up four letters in baseball from 1985-88.
Best known for his prowess on the baseball diamond, Spann hit .361 in 205 games with an astounding 52 home runs, 259 RBI, 204 runs, 470 total bases, a .476 on-base percentage, a .657 slugging percentage, 159 walks, 16 sacrifice flies and 17 stolen bases.
Spann’s career numbers rank in top-10 in school history in a slew of categories. The New Orleans native’s .361 career batting average is tied for fifth-best in school history, while his runs batted in (3rd), on-base percentage (t-3rd), sacrifice flies (4th), slugging percentage (t-4th), home runs (5th), walks (6th), total bases (7th) and runs scored (10th) are some of the top marks in Tulane history.
Spann burst onto the scene in 1985, earning Second Team Freshman All-American while leading the Green Wave to a 38-22 overall record. Spann was second on the team with a .364 batting average, seven home runs and 59 RBI while picking up All-Metro Conference First Team accolades.
As a junior in 1987, Spann hit .383 with 19 home runs, 82 RBI and 67 runs while being intentionally walked a single-season school record nine times. Spann’s on-base percentage of .513 and his RBI total of 82 both rank fourth in single-season school history, while his walk total of 58 comes in at seventh. The Green Wave posted a 44-18 overall record in 1987 while making an appearance in the NCAA South II Regional.
For his efforts in 1987, Spann was a Baseball America Third Team All-American selection. After the season, he was selected in the 10th round of the MLB First Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners, but elected to return to Tulane for his senior season.
Spann matched his junior year with a solid senior campaign, hit .376 with 14 doubles, 21 home runs, 73 RBI and a .809 slugging percentage. His slugging percentage and home run total were single-season school records at the time that now rank second and fourth, respectively. Spann once again earned All-American honors from Baseball America, as he was named to the Second Team.
After exhausting his eligibility, Spann was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the 1988 draft. Spann played six seasons in the minor leagues for the Tigers, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds organizations, hitting .254 with 54 home runs and 269 RBI.
On the gridiron, Spann was a defensive back in his final two seasons for the Green Wave after spending his rookie campaign as a fullback. Spann tied for the team lead in interceptions in 1986 as a sophomore with three while recording 44 total tackles, including 5.0 for a loss. As a junior, Spann notched 42 tackles with 1.0 for a loss and one fumble recovery. As a freshman, he rushed 66 times for 171 yards and one touchdown. He began his football career in 1984 before an injury prematurely ended his season.
Family and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Charbonnet-Labat-Glapion Funeral Home at 1615 St. Philip Street in New Orleans on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery at 4000 Norman Mayer Ave. in New Orleans.
Fans can follow the Tulane baseball program on Twitter (@GreenWaveBSB) or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GreenWaveBaseball.
