Spahn, Warren

Warren Spahn
	Starting Pitcher
Born: April 23, 1921
Died: November 24 2003 (aged 82)
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
	April 19, 1942; for the Boston Braves
Final game
	October 1, 1965; for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics
Win-Loss	363-245
ERA	3.09
Strikeouts	2583
Teams
	Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1942 - 1964); New York Mets (1965); San Francisco Giants (1965);
Career highlights and awards
	Atlanta Braves #21 Retired; National League All-Star: 1947, 1949-1954, 1956-1959, 1961-1963; 1953 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award; 1957 Cy Young Award; 1957 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award; 1958 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award; 1961 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award; 1961 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award; Pitched two no-hitters in his career

Revision as of 19:02, 6 December 2007

Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 21 seasons, all in the National League.

Spahn spent most of his career with the Boston (later Milwaukee) Braves (1942, 1946–64). He amassed 2,583 career strikeouts, giving him the third highest total in baseball history when he retired. His feat of winning 20 or more games in each of 13 seasons was also a record, as was his striking out at least 100 batters each year for 17 consecutive seasons (1947 – 63). His total of 363 wins established a record for left-handers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Baseball career

Warren Spahn
is a member of
Baseball
Hall of Fame

Spahn was born in Buffalo, New York and was the son of an avid amateur baseball player. Warren grew up as a first baseman, but he was unable to win the first base job in high school, so he switched to pitching. Signed by the Braves in 1940, he struck out 62 Class-D batters in 66 innings. In 1941, he moved up to Evansville and led the Three-I League with 19 wins and a 1.83 Earned Run Average (ERA). ^[1]

His major league career began in 1942 with the Boston Braves and he spent all but one year with that franchise, first in Boston and then in Milwaukee. He finished his career in 1965 with the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Spahn won more games than any other lefty (363) and is the fifth-winningest pitcher in MLB, trailing only Cy Young (511), Walter Johnson (417), Grover Cleveland Alexander (373), and Christy Mathewson (373) on the all-time list.^[2]

Spahn also threw two no-hitters, won 3 ERA titles, and appeared in 14 all-star games ,the most of any pitcher in the century."

World War II

Spahn served in the United States Army in World War II and was wounded in Europe. He was awarded Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star for bravery. He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Ludendorff Bridge (the famous bridge at Remagen) as a combat engineer, and was awarded a battlefield commission. He was the only one of major league baseball's military who earned a battlefield commission.

Death

Spahn died at age 82, apparently of natural causes, at his home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He is interred in the Elmwood Cemetery in Hartshorne.

Legacy

The Warren Spahn Award, established in 1999, is presented annually by the Oklahoma Sports Museum in Guthrie, Oklahoma to the top left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. The award is based on a combination of wins, strikeouts and earned run average during the regular season.^[3]

Past winners have included Randy Johnson, (1999-2002, Arizona), Andy Pettitte (2003, New York Yankees), Johan Santana (2004 and 2006, Minnesota), Dontrelle Willis (2005, Florida) and C.C. Sabathia (2007 Cleveland).

In August 2003, the Braves unveiled a statue honoring Spahn in the plaza outside Turner Field in Atlanta. Spahn, in a wheelchair, traveled to Atlanta for the dedication of the 9-foot-high bronze monument, which features his high leg kick.^[4]

After his death a street was named after him in Buffalo, New York. It is located near South Park High School were he graduated just before signing his contract with the Braves.

Notes

↑ Warren Spahn Entertainment.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
↑ Spahn is commonly ranked sixth after 19th-century pitcher Pud Galvin, who won 364 games. Galvin's first four wins came in 1875, in the National League predecessor National Association (NA). So whether Spahn or Galvin ranks fifth depends on whether the NA is considered as a major league.
↑ Warren Spahn Award Oklahomasportsmuseum.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
↑ Hall of Famer, 82, won 363 games Espn.go.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Bjarkman, Peter C. 1995. Warren Spahn. Baseball legends. New York: Chelsea House. ISBN 0791011917
Parrott, John B. 2003. The Promise: a baseball odyssey. Avoca, Penn: Proteus's Compass Publishers. ISBN 0972855807
Wilbert, Warren N. 2003. What Makes an Elite Pitcher? Young, Mathewson, Johnson, Alexander, Grove, Spahn, Seaver, Clemens, and Maddux. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 0786414561

External links

"Warren Spahn Biography, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Retrieved June 1, 2007.
"Warren Spahn", BaseballLibrary.com, Retrieved June 1, 2007.
"Warren Spahn", Behind the Dugout, Retrieved June 1, 2007.
Warren Spahn Thebaseballpage.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Warren Spahn Stats Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Hall of Famer, 82, won 363 games Espn.go.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Schultz, Randy. 2005. Hall of Famer Warren Spahn Findarticles.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Kindred, Dave. 2003. Spahn knew how to play hardball Findarticles.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Goldstein, Richard. 2003. Warren Spahn, 82, Dies; Left-Handed Craftsman of the Baseball Mound for 21 Seasons Nytimes.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
Meaders, Rachele. 2003. Braves in his blood Georgiamagazine.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

Preceded by: Howie Pollet	National League ERA Champion 1947	Succeeded by: Harry Brecheen
Preceded by: Harry Brecheen	National League Strikeout Champion 1949-1952 (1951 with Don Newcombe)	Succeeded by: Robin Roberts
Preceded by: Hoyt Wilhelm	National League ERA Champion 1953	Succeeded by: Johnny Antonelli
Preceded by: Don Newcombe	Cy Young Award 1957	Succeeded by: Bob Turley
Preceded by: Don Drysdale	Major League Player of the Month August 1960	Succeeded by: Ken Boyer
Preceded by: Frank Robinson	Major League Player of the Month August 1961	Succeeded by: Jim O'Toole
Preceded by: Mike McCormick	National League ERA Champion 1961	Succeeded by: Sandy Koufax
Preceded by: Dick Groat	Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1961	Succeeded by: Robin Roberts

Credits

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[1] Warren Spahn Entertainment.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

[2] Spahn is commonly ranked sixth after 19th-century pitcher Pud Galvin, who won 364 games. Galvin's first four wins came in 1875, in the National League predecessor National Association (NA). So whether Spahn or Galvin ranks fifth depends on whether the NA is considered as a major league.

[3] Warren Spahn Award Oklahomasportsmuseum.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

[4] Hall of Famer, 82, won 363 games Espn.go.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

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@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 *[[San Francisco Giants]] ([[1965 in sports|1965]])
 |highlights=<nowiki></nowiki>
-[[Atlanta Braves #Retired Numbers|Atlanta Braves #21]] Retired<BR>[[National League]] [[All-Star]]: 1947, 1949-1954, 1956-1959, 1961-1963<BR>[[1953 in baseball|1953]] National League [[The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award]]<BR>[[1957 in baseball|1957]] [[Cy Young Award]]<BR>1957 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>[[1958 in baseball|1958]] National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>[[1961 in baseball|1961]] [[Lou Gehrig Memorial Award]]<BR>1961 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>6th on the all-time list for career [[win (baseball)|wins]]<BR>44th on the all-time list for career games pitched<BR>8th on the all-time list for career [[innings pitched]]<BR>22nd on the all-time list for career [[strikeouts]]<BR>21st on the all-time list for career [[complete games]]<BR>6th on the all-time list for career [[shutouts]]<BR>Pitched two [[no-hitters]] in his career}}
+[[Atlanta Braves #Retired Numbers|Atlanta Braves #21]] Retired<BR>[[National League]] [[All-Star]]: 1947, 1949-1954, 1956-1959, 1961-1963<BR>[[1953 in baseball|1953]] National League [[The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award]]<BR>[[1957 in baseball|1957]] [[Cy Young Award]]<BR>1957 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>[[1958 in baseball|1958]] National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>[[1961 in baseball|1961]] [[Lou Gehrig Memorial Award]]<BR>1961 National League The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award<BR>Pitched two [[no-hitters]] in his career}}
 '''Warren Edward Spahn''' (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an [[United States|American]] left-handed [[pitcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who played for 21 seasons, all in the [[National League]].