Baseball Legends: Warren Spahn (Braves 1942, 1946-1964, Mets 1965, Giants 1965)

“Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” ~ Warren Spahn

The winningest left-hander in big league history with 363 victories, Warren Spahn ranks sixth on the all-time wins list. Those ahead of him on the list–Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Pete Alexander, Christy Mathewson and Pud Galvin–all played prior to the live-ball era. Thirteen times in his 21-year career he won more than 20 games in a season.

Spahn’s baseball career did not start with distinction; he was demoted to the minor leagues by Boston Braves manager Casey Stengel after refusing to throw at a batter. After the 1942 season concluded, he enlisted in the United States Army. During his tenure in the military, Spahn was honored with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery. He was the only major leaguer who earned a battlefield commission during World War II.

Spahn returned to baseball in 1946; two years later he and fellow pitcher Johnny Sain, with the help of some inclement weather, rattled off eight wins in a 12-day stretch during the pennant drive. Boston Post sports editor Gerald V. Hern wrote the following:

First we’ll use Spahn
then we’ll use Sain
Then an off day
followed by rain
Back will come Spahn
followed by Sain
And followed
we hope
by two days of rain.

Boston ended up losing the World Series in 1948 to the Indians, and Spahn would have to wait until 1957 to get a second chance in the postseason, when the Braves beat the Yankees in seven games. The following year was his last appearance in the postseason, the Yankees taking the ‘58 Series 4-3.

Spahn won The Sporting News’ Pitcher of the Year Award four times, but only once was honored with the Cy Young Award. However, this came during the time that the majors only handed out one award per year; twice Spahn finished second in the voting to an American League pitcher (1958 to Bob Turley and 1961 to Whitey Ford, both Yankees); one other time he trailed only Pittsburgh’s Vern Law in the voting.

Spahn was a 17-time All-Star, starting the midsummer classic in 1949, 1958 and 1961. In addition to his success on the mound, Spahn was a slugging pitcher, hitting 35 long balls and driving in 189 runs in his career.

Fellow Baseball Legend Stan Musial once said, “I don’t think Spahn will ever get into the Hall of Fame; he’ll never stop pitching.” Fortunately for opposing batters, Spahn did stop, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973. He passed away in 2003 at his home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

See Spahn’s career statistics at baseball-reference.com.

Written by JT at The Writer’s Journey.