Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League Baseball as a pitcher for twenty-one seasons (1942, 1946 to 1965) with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. The winningest left-handed pitcher of all time, his career was delayed by service in the United States Army during World War II, where he fought at the Battle of The Bulge, and received a battlefield commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1945. Originally signed by the Boston Braves, he was with the parent club in the spring of 1942, but was supposedly sent down to the minors by manager Casey Stengel because he refused to throw at Pee Wee Reese in an exhibition game. After going 17-13 with a 1.96 ERA at Hartford that year, he pitched four games without a decision for the Braves at the end of the season. In fact, he did not earn his first Major League win until 1946 at the age of 25. He always felt that his Army service helped him with his baseball career. "It helped me to play under pressure, and made me a more responsible and mature adult". A complete all-around player, he was also a great hitter and fielder. He won 20 games in a season a Major League record-tying 13 times, pitched two no-hitters, and led the National League in strikeouts four consecutive years. Teammate Johnny Sain called him "one of the smartest men ever to play the game." He helped the Braves win pennants in 1948, 1957 and 1958. It was in 1948 that he was immortalized in baseball lore by the jingle "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain," a reference to the Braves' lack of pitching depth. He actually had one of his worst seasons in 1948 going only 15-12 with a 3.71 ERA. From 1949 to 1963, Warren Spahn won 20 games 12 times and led the National League in wins eight times, never having an ERA above 3.50. Over the course of his career, he went 363-245 with a 3.09 ERA with 5,244 innings pitched. He also went 4-3 in World Series play. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League Baseball as a pitcher for twenty-one seasons (1942, 1946 to 1965) with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. The winningest left-handed pitcher of all time, his career was delayed by service in the United States Army during World War II, where he fought at the Battle of The Bulge, and received a battlefield commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1945. Originally signed by the Boston Braves, he was with the parent club in the spring of 1942, but was supposedly sent down to the minors by manager Casey Stengel because he refused to throw at Pee Wee Reese in an exhibition game. After going 17-13 with a 1.96 ERA at Hartford that year, he pitched four games without a decision for the Braves at the end of the season. In fact, he did not earn his first Major League win until 1946 at the age of 25. He always felt that his Army service helped him with his baseball career. "It helped me to play under pressure, and made me a more responsible and mature adult". A complete all-around player, he was also a great hitter and fielder. He won 20 games in a season a Major League record-tying 13 times, pitched two no-hitters, and led the National League in strikeouts four consecutive years. Teammate Johnny Sain called him "one of the smartest men ever to play the game." He helped the Braves win pennants in 1948, 1957 and 1958. It was in 1948 that he was immortalized in baseball lore by the jingle "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain," a reference to the Braves' lack of pitching depth. He actually had one of his worst seasons in 1948 going only 15-12 with a 3.71 ERA. From 1949 to 1963, Warren Spahn won 20 games 12 times and led the National League in wins eight times, never having an ERA above 3.50. Over the course of his career, he went 363-245 with a 3.09 ERA with 5,244 innings pitched. He also went 4-3 in World Series play. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Bio by: Frank Russo
Inscription
Winningest Left-Hander in Major League History
Hall of Fame 1973
A Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather
World War II Decorated Veteran
Our Hero
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Spahn memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
