Spahn, Warren Edward

Spahn, Warren Edward,

1921–2003, American baseball player, b. Buffalo, N.Y. A spectacular pitcher in high-school baseball, Spahn turned professional in 1939 and played in the minor leagues. In 1942 he joined the Boston Braves (later, the Milwaukee Braves) of the National League, but shortly thereafter he was called into service in World War II with the U.S. army; in Europe he won a battlefield commission and a Bronze Star. He returned to the Braves in 1946 and soon developed into one of the great pitchers of baseball. Before retiring in 1965, Spahn won a total of 363 games, a record for left-handed pitchers, and won 20 games or more a season 13 times. In 1973 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.