Atlanta Braves: Power Ranking the Retired Numbers
By John Buhler
Aug 25, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
SP. 1942, 1946-64. Warren Spahn. 21. player. 17.
The Braves have major bragging rights when it comes to two players in particular: the organization has the winningest left-handed pitcher of all-time and the true home run king. This slide commemorates the former, the winningest lefty of all-time, the late great Warren Spahn.
Spahn won 356 of his 363 career games with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves. Keep in mind that Warren lost three seasons due to military service in World War II (1943-45). So had WWII not happened, Spahn could easily have won over 400 career games, joining Walter Johnson and Cy Young on that short list.
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Warren Spahn made 14 All-Star games with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves in his 20 years with the organization. He accumulated an impressive 2,493 strikeouts with the Braves and helped the club win the 1957 World Series over the New York Yankees.
Spahn won 20 or more games in a season 13 times, leading the National League 8 times. He threw 374 complete games with the Braves, leading the NL 9 times. In his prime, Warren Spahn was the epitome of an ace pitcher. He goes down in history with the likes of Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, and Steve Carlton as the greatest lefties to ever pitch in baseball.
Though Warren Spahn never pitched for the team in Atlanta, he has a statue forever proving his dominance in the Turner Field concourse. He’s overlooked sometimes by one Brave in particular, but you cannot deny Warren Spahn’s place in baseball lore as one of the greatest pitchers of all-time.
Next: 1. The True Home Run Champion