Warren Spahn
- This article is about the Hall of Fame pitcher. For the annual award given out for the top left-handed pitcher in the majors, see Warren Spahn Award.
| 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 | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
Atlanta Braves #21 Retired | |
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. Although never quite as dominating as some, he was both astonishingly consistent and durable. He won 20 games in 13 different seasons, and compiled a 23-7 record when he was aged 42. He won more games than any other left-handed pitcher, or any other pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era, and is acknowledged as one of the best left-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball history.
Baseball career
|
| Warren Spahn is a member of Baseball Hall of Fame |
Spahn was born in Buffalo, New York. In 1940 he signed with the Braves organization. His major league career began in 1942 with the 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.[1]
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. After his death a street was named after him in Buffalo, New York that connects Abbott Road with Senaca Street in the Heart of South Buffalo. This is located near South Park High School were he graduated from, right before signing his contract with the Braves.
Quotations
"Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing."
"I'm probably the only guy who worked for Stengel before and after he was a genius." (on having played for manager Casey Stengel with the Braves and Mets, but not when Stengel was winning multiple World Series with the New York Yankees)
See also
- 300 win club
- All-Time leaders in home runs for a Pitcher
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.
- The Baseball Page
- Braves All-Time Team
Notes
- ↑ 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 we count the NA as a major league.
| 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 |
| |||||||||||
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