Spahn, Warren E.
Baseball
b. April 23, 1921, Buffalo, NY
d. Nov. 23, 2003
A first baseman as a youngster, Spahn couldn't win a starting job in high school, so he began pitching. He signed a professional contract with the Boston Braves organization in 1940, spent three years in the minor leagues, joining the Braves briefly in 1942, and then went into the Army during World War II.
He became a part-time starter and reliever with the Braves in 1947, compiling an 8-5 record, and was a full-time starter the following year, when he had a 21-10 record and led the league with a 2.33 ERA and 289 2/3 innings pitched.
After slipping to 15-12 in 1948, Spahn led the league in wins with a 21-14 record, in complete games with 25, in innings with 302 1/3, and in strikeouts with 151 in 1949. He had a league-leading 21 victories against 17 losses in 1950, when he also led with 191 strikeouts.
Spahn led the league with 7 shutouts, 26 complete games, and 164 strikeouts in 1951 and he was the strikeout leader for the fourth consecutive year with 183 in 1952. Despite a 2.98 ERA, he had only a 14-19 record that year.
The Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953. After going 21-12 and 17-14, Spahn won 20 or more games six years in a row. He was the National League Cy Young Award winner in 1957, when he led with 21 victories and 18 complete games and posted a 2.69 ERA. Spahn had a 1-1 record and a 4.70 ERA in Milwaukee's seven-game World Series victory over the New York Yankees.
He also led in victories with 22 in 1958, 21 in 1959, 21 in 1960, and 21 in 1961; in winning percentage with .667 in 1958; in complete games with 23 in 1958, 21 in 1959, 18 in 1960, 21 in 1961, 22 in 1962, and 22 in 1963; in shutouts with 4 in 1959 and 4 in 1961; in innings pitched with 290 in 1958 and 292 in 1959; and in ERA with 3.01 in 1961.
Spahn pitched a no-hitter in 1960, when he was thirty-nine years old, and pitched another in 1961. He had his last outstanding season in 1963, when he went 23-7 with a 2.60 ERA. At 42, he was the oldest pitcher ever to win more than 20 games. Then he suddenly became ineffective. He was sold to the New York Mets after a 6-13 record in 1964. Spahn left the major leagues after a 7-16 with the Mets and the San Francisco Giants in 1965.
The 6-foot, 175-pound left-hander had an unusually high leg kick that brought him forward into a long, sweeping delivery. In his early years, he had a pretty good fastball and a fine curve, but his mastery was built on control and outsmarting hitters. When he began to lose his fastball late in his career, he developed a screwball and even threw an occasional knuckleball.
Spahn managed a minor-league team from 1967 through 1971 and pitched in three games in 1967, which delayed his eligibility for the Hall of Fame. He was later pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians for two seasons.
He had a career record of 363-245, with 63 shutouts and a 3.09 ERA. He struck out 2,583 hitters and walked 1,434 in 5,243 2/3 innings. Spahn holds the record for most career victories by a left-handed pitcher and is tied with Christy Mathewson for most 20-win seasons, 13.