Warren Spahn, greatest left-handed pitcher of the modern era, dead at 82

[PVnRT]

I figured someone would have posted this by now, but, anyway, here it is:

Link (Sports Illustrated)

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BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) -- Warren Spahn, the winningest left-hander in baseball history and a leader of the dominant Milwaukee Braves teams of the late 1950s, died at his home Monday. He was 82.

The Hall of Famer baffled batters with his high leg kick and teamed with Johnny Sain in the famous "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" tandem.

Spahn helped pitch the Braves to National League pennants in 1948, 1957 and 1958. The Braves played seven-game World Series against the New York Yankees in the latter two years, winning the first one and losing the second.

8<------------------------------------------------------------

And some quotes from and about Warren Spahn:

http://baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quosphn.shtml

[TheZoo]

1. The greatest southpaw

Koufax had his years of greatness, but overall Spahn was the best.

First we'll use Spahn, then we'll use Sain,
Then an off day, followed by rain.
Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain,
And followed, we hope, by two days of rain.

[Ernesto]

7. Where's your star?

1000 posts & no star?.. Paleazeee!

[maveric]

2. Check out these numbers!

Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA *lgERA *ERA+ BFP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+----+-----+
1942 21 BSN NL 0 0 4 2 0 1 0 0 15.7 25 15 10 0 11 7 5.74 3.35 58 79
1946 25 BSN NL 8 5 24 16 7 8 0 1 125.7 107 46 41 6 36 67 2.94 3.45 117 514
1947 26 BSN NL 21 10 40 35 4 22 7 3 289.7 245 87 75 15 84 123 2.33 3.90 168 1174
1948 27 BSN NL 15 12 36 35 1 16 3 1 257.0 237 115 106 19 77 114 3.71 3.84 103 1064
1949 28 BSN NL 21 14 38 38 0 25 4 0 302.3 283 125 103 27 86 151 3.07 3.80 124 1258
1950 29 BSN NL 21 17 41 39 2 25 1 1 293.0 248 123 103 22 111 191 3.16 3.85 122 1217
1951 30 BSN NL 22 14 39 36 3 26 7 0 310.7 278 111 103 20 109 164 2.98 3.68 123 1289
1952 31 BSN NL 14 19 40 35 5 19 5 3 290.0 263 109 96 19 73 183 2.98 3.62 121 1190
1953 32 MLN NL 23 7 35 32 3 24 5 3 265.7 211 75 62 14 70 148 2.10 3.94 188 1055
1954 33 MLN NL 21 12 39 34 2 23 1 3 283.3 262 107 99 24 86 136 3.14 3.75 119 1175
1955 34 MLN NL 17 14 39 32 7 16 1 1 245.7 249 99 89 25 65 110 3.26 3.75 115 1025
1956 35 MLN NL 20 11 39 35 3 20 3 3 281.3 249 92 87 25 52 128 2.78 3.47 125 1113
1957 36 MLN NL 21 11 39 35 4 18 4 3 271.0 241 94 81 23 78 111 2.69 3.49 130 1111
1958 37 MLN NL 22 11 38 36 1 23 2 1 290.0 257 106 99 29 76 150 3.07 3.52 114 1176
1959 38 MLN NL 21 15 40 36 3 21 4 0 292.0 282 106 96 21 70 143 2.96 3.55 120 1203
1960 39 MLN NL 21 10 40 33 5 18 4 2 267.7 254 114 104 24 74 154 3.50 3.42 98 1110
1961 40 MLN NL 21 13 38 34 3 21 4 0 262.7 236 96 88 24 64 115 3.02 3.75 124 1064
1962 41 MLN NL 18 14 34 34 0 22 0 0 269.3 248 97 91 25 55 118 3.04 3.78 124 1088
1963 42 MLN NL 23 7 33 33 0 22 7 0 259.7 241 85 75 23 49 102 2.60 3.22 124 1037
1964 43 MLN NL 6 13 38 25 11 4 1 4 173.7 204 110 102 23 52 78 5.29 3.54 67 759
1965 44 NYM NL 4 12 20 19 1 5 0 0 126.0 140 70 61 18 35 56 4.36 3.54 81 543
SFG NL 3 4 16 11 2 3 0 0 71.7 70 34 27 8 21 34 3.39 3.61 106 303
TOT NL 7 16 36 30 3 8 0 0 197.7 210 104 88 26 56 90 4.01 3.56 89 846
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+----+-----+
21 Yr WL% .597 363 245 750 665 67 382 63 29 5243.7 4830 2016 1798 434 1434 2583 3.09 3.65 118
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 17 11 36 31 3 18 3 1 251.7 232 96 86 20 68 124 3.09 3.65 118 1035
Career High 23 19 41 39 11 26 7 4 310.7 283 125 106 29 111 191 2.10 3.94 188 1289
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+----+-----+
W L G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA *lgERA *ERA+ BFP

In 1943, Spahn went into the Army. He served in Europe, where he was wounded, decorated for bravery with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and was awarded a battlefield commission. He fought at the Battle of the Bulge and in the battle for the bridge at Remagen, Germany, where many men in his company were killed.

13 times a 20 game winner. Pitched 2 no-hitters one at age 39, the second at age 40.Went 23-7 in 1963 at age 42.

A truly amazing pitcher and one of the best of all time.

[Devoir]

3. Wrong.

Lefty Grove was by far the best lefty pitcher ever. Only 300-win pitcher who played almost entirely in the dead-ball era.

[PVnRT]

5. Ummmmm

The dead-ball era was a time of almost no offense - pitchers actually had it a hell of a lot easier back then as compared to the 1950's and 1960's, when Spahn pitched. I really don't get your argument here.

[JohnKleeb]

6. I think he meant the live ball era you know the 20's and 30's

but offensive production was high in Spahn's era too.

[JohnKleeb]

4. To a fellow lefty RIP

I actually got his autograph even though I was too young for his times, here's what happened, my dad worked at a Mariott, and in his restaurant he was working at, all sorts of Baseball legends came, like Williams and Spahn, he didnt have the guts to ask Williams so he asked Spahn and Spahn said yes. It was neat because at the time I was a pitcher in little league, sigh what happened to that dream :(, damned elitist system based on hitting and hitting was what I sucked at. RIP Warren.