| Warren Spahn | |
|---|---|
 Spahn with the Boston Braves in 1953 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 23, 1921 Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: November 24, 2003 (aged 82) Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1942, for the Boston Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1965, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 363–245 |
| Earned run average | 3.09 |
| Strikeouts | 2,583 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1973 |
| Vote | 83.2% (first ballot) |
Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notably for the Boston Braves, who became the Milwaukee Braves after the team moved west before the 1953 season. His baseball career was interrupted by his military service in the United States Army during World War II.[1]
With 363 career wins, Spahn holds the major league record for a left-handed pitcher, and has the most by a pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era.[2] He was a 17-time All-Star who won 20 games or more in 13 seasons, including a 23–7 win–loss record when he was age 42.[3] Spahn won the 1957 Cy Young Award and was a three-time runner-up during the period when only one award was given for both leagues. At the time of his retirement in 1965, Spahn held the Major League record for career strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher.[3]
Spahn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1973, with 82.89% of the vote.[1] The Warren Spahn Award, given annually to the major leagues' best left-handed pitcher, is named in his honor.[4] Regarded as a "thinking man's" pitcher who liked to outwit batters, Spahn once described his approach on the mound: "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing."[5]
- ^ a b "Spahn, Warren". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Wins". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
BRwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Warren Spahn Award". Oklahoma Sports Museum.
- ^ Kahn, Roger (December 8, 2003). "Mind Over Batter: No one had a Better head for Pitching than Warren Spahn". Sports Illustrated.