Braves Report

As one of the best left-handed pitchers ever, Warren Spahn will be forever remembered in baseball lore. Possibly without a three-year stint in World War II, Spahn may have been the third pitcher with 400 wins. Still, Spahn enjoyed a stellar career that would leave him with the most wins by a left-hander during the live ball era.

Born on this day in 1921 in Buffalo, New York, Spahn endured the pains of the First World War, the Great Depression, and the Second World War. Spahn reached the majors in 1942 at the age of 21, but he did not last long due to Spahn refusing to throw at a hitter during an exhibition game. Stengel would later state that it may have been the worst decision he ever made. Yet, in the following year, Spahn enlisted in the American army to serve 3 years during World War II along with several other major leaguers, and he was awarded several Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for bravery and courage. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was the only major leaguer to receive a battlefield commission.

After coming back to the major leagues at age 25, Spahn began a long and prosperous career. In 1947, Spahn had the lowest ERA in the NL with a 21-10 record. He would win two other ERA titles in 1953 and 1961. In 1948, a columnist wrote a poem entitled “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain” in admiration of the two hurlers who won 8 games in 12 days. By 1957, Spahn was still the ace, this time for Milwaukee, and that same year the Braves won the World Series. He pitched on two other pennant winners in 1948 and 1958. For four consecutive seasons from 1949-1952, Spahn led the league in strikeouts, and by the time he was done, he was second on the all-time strikeout list with 2,583. Yet, his success did not end there. He had 13 seasons with 20 or more wins, including a 23-7 record when he was 42. In 1957, he won the Cy Young Award, and he finished second three times in an era which only gave one for the entire major leagues. At age 39, he threw his first no-hitter, and he added another a year later.

Known for his high leg kicks and incredible durability and stamina, Spahn was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1973. After playing, he was the manager for the AAA Tulsa Oilers, the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, pitching coach for a minor league team in the Angels organization, and the pitching coach for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. A few months before he died, he attended the unveiling of his statue at Turner Field. Spahn died at the ripe old age of 82 due to natural causes.

 Fun Facts:

- Gave up Willie Mays’ first hit which was a homerun in the 14^th inning of a game he started and battled with Juan Marichal. (He ultimately lost the game because of it)

- Known as “Hooks” because of the shape of his nose due to being hit by a ball when not paying attention.

- Hit surprisingly well for a pitcher by hitting a homerun in 17 consecutive seasons and finished with an NL record 35 for his career.

- The Warren Spahn Award is given to the best left-handed pitcher in baseball.