Warren Spahn (1973)


Date of Birth: 4/23/1921
Date of Death: 11/24/2003
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York

Warren Spahn was first signed by the Boston Braves in 1940 and after two seasons in the minor leagues, he was called up to the Braves in 1942 at the age of 21. After playing in just four games with an ERA of 5.74, manager Casey Stengel sent Spahn back to the minor leagues for the remainder of the season.

Boston/Milwaukee Braves

At the end of the 1942 baseball season, Spahn joined the US army and served through World War II. He returned to baseball and the Braves in 1946, playing in 24 games with them. That season he had an 8-5 record with 67 strikeouts to 36 walks and an ERA of 2.94. The next year, Spahn led the National League in ERA, shutouts, and innings pitched. He finished the 1947 season with 21 wins and 10 losses, 7 shutouts, 128 strikeouts to 84 walks, and a 2.33 ERA in 289.2 innings in 40 games.

From 1949 through 1952, Spahn led the National League in strikeouts. He also led the league in wins, innings pitched, and complete games in 1949. That year, he had 21 wins and 14 losses, 151 strikeouts to 86 walks, and a 3.07 ERA in 302.1 innings in 38 games. He pitched 25 complete games.

Spahn led the NL in wins and strikeouts in 1950. He had career highs in games played and strikeouts that year. He finished the season with 21 wins and 17 losses, 191 strikeouts to 111 walks, and a 3.16 ERA in 293.0 innings in 41 games.

In 1951, Spahn led the NL in complete games and strikeouts. He had career highs in complete games and innings pitched. He had 22 wins and 14 losses, 164 strikeouts to 109 walks, and a 2.98 ERA in 310.2 innings in 39 games. He pitched 26 complete games. The following year, he led the NL again in strikeouts with 183 (to 73 walks). He finished the 1952 season with 14 wins and 9 losses and a 2.98 ERA in 290.0 innings in 40 games.

Spahn led the NL in ERA in 1953. That season he had a 23-7 record with 148 strikeouts to 70 walks and a 2.10 ERA. He won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1953.

Spahn's ERA went up to 3.14 in 1954, when he had 21 wins and 12 losses in 39 games. His ERA was even higher in 1955. He finished that season with 17 wins and 14 losses and a 3.26 ERA in 39 games.

In 1957, Spahn won the NL Cy Young award and his second Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award. He had a 2.69 ERA and a 21-11 record in 39 games. A year later, he led the NL in wins, innnings pitched, and complete games. He again won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1958. He finished the season with 22 wins and 11 losses, 150 strikeouts to 76 walks, and a 3.07 ERA in 290.0 innings in 38 games. He pitched 23 complete games.

Spahn again led the NL in wins, innings pitched, and complete games in 1959. He had 21 wins and 15 losses and a 2.96 ERA in 40 games. He pitched 21 complete games.

In 1960, at the age of 39, Spahn pitched his first of two no-hit games. His second no hitter came one year later. In 1961, he again led the NL in ERA, wins, and complete games. He had a 3.02 ERA with 21 wins and 13 losses and 21 complete games. He won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1961. He also won the Lou Gehrig Memorial award that year.

Spahn continued to lead the NL in complete games in 1962 and 1963, pitching 22 complete games each of those seasons. He had a 3.04 ERA in 34 games in 1962. The next year, he had a career high 23 wins and a 2.60 ERA in 33 games.

Spahn had a terrible year in 1964, ending with a 6-13 record and a 5.29 ERA.

Final Years as a Player

After the 1964 season ended, the Braves sold Spahn's contract to the New York Mets. In 1965, the Mets released Spahn after 20 games with a 4-12 record and 4.36 ERA. He then signed with the San Francisco Giants, ending his major league career after 16 more games.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Cy Young award
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (4 times)
  • Lou Gehrig Memorial award
  • Led the NL in ERA (3 times)
  • Led the NL in wins (8 times)
  • Led the NL in strikeouts (4 times)
  • Led the NL in innings pitched (4 times)
  • Led the NL in complete games (9 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Spahn in 20 seasons (1946-1965) in the major leagues include:

  • 13 seasons with 20 or more wins, with a high of 23 in 1953 and 1963
  • 6 seasons with 150 or more strikeouts, with a high of 191 in 1950
  • 9 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.10 in 1953

Career pitching statistics for Spahn include:

  • 750 games played
  • 5,243.2 innings pitched
  • 363-245 win-loss record
  • 2,583 strikeouts to 1,434 walks
  • 3.09 ERA

Postseason statistics for Spahn include:

  • 3 postseasons
  • 8 games played
  • 55.0 innings pitched
  • 4-3 win-loss record
  • 32 strikeouts to 13 walks
  • 3.11 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Spahn was a pitching coach with the Cleveland Indians and in the minor leagues. He also spent six years coaching for baseball teams in Japan.

Spahn was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 on the first ballot with 83.2% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Warren Spahn
ESPN - Warren Spahn
Baseball Reference - Warren Spahn

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