Spahn, Warren

Warren Spahn, in full Warren Edward Spahn, (born April 23, 1921, Buffalo, New York, U.S.—died November 24, 2003, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma), American professional baseball player whose total of 363 major-league victories established a record for left-handed pitchers. His feat of winning 20 or more games in each of 13 seasons also was a record for left-handers. He set still another mark by striking out at least 100 batters each year for 17 consecutive seasons (1947–63). At the time of his retirement, in 1965, his career total of 2,583 strikeouts was the third highest in baseball history.

Spahn, the son of a former semiprofessional baseball player, signed with the Boston Braves (later the Milwaukee Braves) of the National League (NL) in 1940 and pitched his first major league game in 1942. Drafted into the army the following year, he saw extensive combat service during World War II and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. In 1946 Spahn returned to professional baseball, and his fluid, high-kick delivery and pinpoint accuracy soon established him as one of the game’s leading pitchers. In 1957 he helped the Braves win the World Series. A wiry, finely conditioned athlete, Spahn pitched two no-hit games at age 39 and 40. He was also one of the best hitters among pitchers, and his 35 career home runs set a record for pitchers in the NL. In 1965, his last season, he played for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Spahn was a 14-time All-Star and the recipient of the Cy Young Award (1957). In 1973 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.