From the Collection: Warren Spahn, sp, Atlanta Braves
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Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn. Did you know that he is the only Major League Baseball player to receive a battlefield promotion during World War II? Unlike many MLB players, Spahn spent a considerable amount of time on the front lines in combat and ended the conflict as a second lieutenant with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart on his chest. Fighting in the Battle of the Bulge will do that.
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Due to the war, Spahn got a late start on his MLB career and didn’t earn his first win until he was 25 years old. But once he got that win, he never looked back, and over 21 seasons in the big leagues, he would get 362 more.
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His career is one of those that you really need to look at his stat sheet to appreciate. From 1947 to 1963, he averaged 278 innings and 20 wins a season. During that run, he won 20 games or more 10 times and led the league in wins eight times. If the Cy Young Award were around earlier in his career (it wasn’t a thing until 1956), he would almost certainly have more than the one that he won in 1957.
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Spahn retired with a 363-245 record, three ERA titles, 17 All-Star selections, and a Championship with the 1957 Boston Braves. His 100.1 career WAR puts him 32nd all-time. The closest active pitcher to him is Justin Verlander, who has 81.7.