Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn was a celebrated American left-handed pitcher, renowned for his remarkable career in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. Born on April 23, 1921, in Buffalo, New York, he was influenced early on by his father's passion for baseball. Spahn's professional journey began after he was signed by the Braves in 1940, but his career was interrupted by military service during World War II, where he served as a combat engineer and earned a battlefield commission. Upon returning to baseball, Spahn quickly established himself as a premier pitcher, leading the National League in victories for multiple seasons and securing a total of 363 wins, the highest for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history.
His notable achievements include winning the Cy Young Award in 1957 and helping the Braves capture their first World Series title since 1914. Spahn was known for his incredible arsenal of pitches and his ability to adapt on the mound, contributing to his dominance from 1949 to 1963. He retired in 1965 after stints with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, leaving a legacy as a humble and respected figure in baseball history. In recognition of his contributions, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. Spahn's career exemplifies talent, resilience, and dedication, making him a pivotal figure in the sport.
Warren Spahn
Baseball Player
- Born: April 23, 1921
- Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
- Died: November 24, 2003
- Place of death: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Sport: Baseball
Early Life
Warren Edward Spahn was born on April 23, 1921, in Buffalo, New York, the oldest son of six children. Warren’s father, Edward, a wallpaper salesperson, played third base for the semiprofessional Lake City Athletic Club baseball team and wanted Warren to play Major League Baseball. When Warren was a small boy, Ed taught him how to throw and catch. They often attended Buffalo Bisons minor-league home games, where Warren learned about pitching.
The Road to Excellence
A left-hander, Warren played first base for the Lake City Athletic Club midget team as a nine-year-old and later joined the senior team. He graduated from South Park High School in Buffalo, pitching four years for his baseball team. Boston Red Sox scout Billy Meyer wanted to sign Warren, but Ed insisted that his son finish high school first.
In 1940, the Boston Braves signed Warren and sent him to the Bradford, Pennsylvania, team in the low minor leagues. At Bradford, Warren tore tendons in his left shoulder and was struck on the nose with a thrown ball. He still struck out nearly one batter per inning with his fastball. Warren continued to pitch well for Evansville, Indiana, of the Class B Three-I League in 1941, and for Hartford, Connecticut, of the Class A Eastern League in 1942. The Braves, managed by Casey Stengel, called Warren up in September, 1942. Warren made four major-league appearances and struggled in both starts.
In 1942, the U.S. Army drafted Warren for World War II service. He fought as a combat engineer in Europe and was wounded by shrapnel at the Battle of the Bulge. No other major leaguer won a battlefield commission for bravery in action.
The Emerging Champion
Warren was discharged from the Army on April 23, 1946, and rejoined the Boston Braves. He starred several times in relief before manager Billy Southworth started him against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The twenty-five-year-old did not pitch well in his first two starts but then won five straight games. Warren was not happy, however, because his fiancé, Lorene Southard, was living sixteen hundred miles away in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Warren and Lorene were married in August, 1946, and later had one son, Gregory. Warren finished the 1946 season with eight wins and five losses.
At spring training in 1947, Warren improved his pitching delivery and developed a curveball and a changeup. He recorded twenty-one victories and kept six opponents scoreless, hurling four consecutive shutouts in September. His emergence sparked the Braves’ resurgence. In 1948, Warren helped the Braves capture the team’s first National League (NL) pennant in thirty-five years. The Braves lacked pitching depth, sparking the jingle, “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.” Warren’s 2-1, 14-inning masterpiece against the Dodgers put the Braves in first place. In the series, Warren hurled nearly 6 innings of one-hit relief, winning the fifth game against the Cleveland Indians.
Continuing the Story
From 1949 to 1963, Warren was the most dominant major-league left-hander. He pitched for the Braves in Boston through 1952 and in Milwaukee from 1953 to 1964. His blazing fastball and curveball helped him lead the National League in strikeouts from 1949 through 1952. He developed superb control and a deceptive pickoff move and added a wicked screwball and slider, giving him four quality pitches. Batters remained off-stride because crafty Warren changed locations and speeds.
No major-league left-hander won more games, 363, or won at least twenty games for more seasons, thirteen, than Warren. He led the National League in victories for eight seasons and lost 245 decisions. Nearly 2,600 batters struck out against Warren. He held opponents scoreless sixty-three times, the most by any NL left-hander. Opponents scored around 3 earned runs per game against Warren, but the Braves often gave him limited support. Warren once struck out 18 Chicago Cubs and hit a home run in a 15-inning 2-1 loss.
With Warren’s help, the Milwaukee Braves captured the 1957 and 1958 NL pennants. In 1957, Warren won twenty-one games, earning the Cy Young Award as the best major-league pitcher. The Braves took the franchise’s first World Series title since 1914, with Warren winning game four against the New York Yankees. In 1958, Warren recorded twenty-two victories and triumphed in two World Series contests, including his brilliant two-hit shutout in game four. The New York Yankees, however, regained the World Series crown.
On September 16, 1960, against the Philadelphia Phillies, Warren hurled the first no-hitter of his career. The 4-0 victory gave Warren his twentieth for the season. Five days after his fortieth birthday, he pitched the only no-hitter of the 1961 major-league season. That 1-0 masterpiece came against the San Francisco Giants. A packed Milwaukee County Stadium, on August 11, 1961, witnessed Warren earn his 300th career major-league win, against the Chicago Cubs. Warren surpassed Eddie Plank for wins by a left-handed pitcher by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 28, 1962. Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers overtook Warren as the NL’s best left-hander after the 1963 season.
Warren closed his major-league career with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants in 1965. He remained in baseball as a major-league scout and coach and as a minor-league manager and pitching instructor through 1981. The rawboned, 6-foot, 175-pounder with a hawkish nose, receding hairline, and long, narrow jaw retired to his eight-hundred-acre cattle ranch in Hartshorne, Oklahoma.
In 1973, the National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Warren in his first year of eligibility. Warren hit more home runs, 35, than any other NL pitcher. Managers seldom inserted pinch-hitters for Warren, who led the National League nine consecutive seasons in complete games and pitched more than 5,000 career innings.
Summary
Warren Spahn set new records of achievement by mastering the art of pitching as few others have. Warren impressed others as humble, genial, witty, reliable, consistent, and intelligent and demonstrated strength of character, competitive zeal, and physical stamina. He ranks among the most popular and respected players to perform in the major leagues.
Bibliography
Parrott, John B. The Promise: A Baseball Odyssey. Avoca, Pa.: Proteus’s Compass, 2003.
Roberts, Russell. One Hundred Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History. San Mateo, Calif.: Bluewood Books, 2003.
Silverman, Al. Warren Spahn: Immortal Southpaw. New York: Bartholomew House, 1961.
Spahn, Warren. How to Pitch. St. Louis: Rawlings Sporting Goods, 1964.
Westcott, Rich. Winningest Pitchers: Baseball’s Three-Hundred-Game Winners. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.
Wilbert, Warren N. What Makes an Elite Pitcher? Young, Mathewson, Johnson, Alexander, Grove, Spahn, Seaver, Clemens, and Maddux. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2003.