11/05/24
November 24, 2003
363 wins starting at age 25. I knew he was the winningest lefty, but I didn't realize he was such a late bloomer.
posted by yerfatma at 05:28 PM on November 24, 2003
Here's his career stats (363-245, 3.09 ERA, hit 35 home runs) and a really good interview the Atlanta Journal-Constitution did with him this August, around when his statue was going up in Turner Field.
posted by taupe at 05:31 PM on November 24, 2003
Thanks for that link, taupe. He threw an NL-record 5,246 innings, pitching every fourth day in a four-man rotation. His first no-hitter came at the age of 39, a 4-0 victory over Philadelphia on Sept. 16, 1960. The following April, five starts later, Spahn no-hit San Francisco, 1-0. Fuckin' a. I had no idea he lived in Broken Arrow (a suburb of Tulsa, just to the East of town). I had no idea that he lived so close to me for so long. Truth be told, I wasn't even sure he was still alive. What a great pitcher, though.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:28 PM on November 24, 2003
That August interview is great; Spahn at 82 smoking cigarettes, drinking a Heineken, and talking animatedly about the current Braves. I like how Randy Johnson showed up four straight years to accept the Oklahoma Sports Museum's "Warren Spahn Award" as a token of respect for Spahn.
posted by rcade at 05:33 AM on November 25, 2003
I guess we really have to pray for rain now. RIP Warren. The statue at Turner field looks great btw.
posted by trox at 08:31 AM on November 25, 2003
RIP Spahn. I too didn't even realise he was still alive. But now I can't get Robbie Robertson's Broken Arrow out of my head.
posted by scully at 08:38 AM on November 25, 2003
Oh, no!