Spud Chandler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spud Chandler |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 12, 1907 Commerce, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Died: January 9, 1990 (aged 82) South Pasadena, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 6, 1937, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 1947, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 109–43 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.84 | ||
| Strikeouts | 614 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Spurgeon Ferdinand "Spud" Chandler (born September 12, 1907 – died January 9, 1990) was a famous American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. Spud played his entire career with the Yankees from 1937 to 1947.
He was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1943. That year, he led the Yankees' pitching team with 20 wins and only 4 losses. His 1.64 earned run average (ERA) in 1943 was amazing. It was the lowest by any major league pitcher for many years. It is still a record for the Yankees team. In his eleven seasons, he never had more losses than wins. With 109 wins and 43 losses, his career winning percentage of .717 is one of the best ever for a pitcher with over 100 wins.
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Early Life and College Sports
Spud Chandler was born in Commerce, Georgia. He grew up in Franklin County. He finished high school in Carnesville in 1928. Then, he went to the University of Georgia.
At college, Spud was a talented athlete. He played football as a halfback. He even threw a touchdown pass in a big game against Yale in 1929. He also pitched for the college baseball team. Plus, he competed on the track team. He studied agriculture and graduated from the university.
Baseball Career Highlights
Spud Chandler spent five years playing in the Yankees' minor league teams. He had dreamed of playing for the Yankees since he was a kid. He finally made his first big league game at age 29 on May 6, 1937. That season, he had 7 wins and 4 losses. He also had a good 2.84 ERA.
Early Years with the Yankees
In 1938, Spud won 14 games and lost 5. In 1939, he pitched mostly as a reliever and had 3 wins with no losses. The Yankees won the World Series in these years. However, Spud did not play in the postseason games. He had some injuries early in his career.
In 1940, he had 8 wins and 7 losses. In 1941, he improved to 10 wins and 4 losses. By 1942, he was even better, with 16 wins and 5 losses. He had the third-best ERA in the American League that year. He was also chosen for his first of four All-Star teams. He was the winning pitcher in the 1942 All-Star Game. Spud started one game in the World Series each year in 1941 and 1942. The Yankees won in 1941 but lost in 1942.
MVP Season and World War II
Spud Chandler's best year was 1943. He led the league with 20 wins in 30 starts. He also completed 20 games and had five shutouts. He pitched 253 innings and only gave up 46 earned runs. He allowed only five home runs all season. His 134 strikeouts were the third most in the league. He was chosen for the All-Star team again.
In the 1943 World Series, Spud finally had great success. He pitched two complete game victories. One of these was a shutout in the final Game 5. The Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals to win the championship. Spud won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award that year. He is still the only Yankees pitcher to win this award.
After one start in 1944, Spud joined the military. He served in the Army for almost two years during World War II. He returned to baseball in 1946. He had another All-Star season, winning 20 games and losing 8. His 2.10 ERA was the second best in the league. He also had a career-high 138 strikeouts. For the second time, he completed 20 games in a season.
Final Years and Retirement
Spud was selected for his last All-Star team in 1947. However, injuries started to affect him. He finished the year with 9 wins and 5 losses. His career ended at age 40. He pitched for the last time in the famous 1947 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He pitched two innings in a game the Yankees lost. In his four World Series appearances, he had 2 wins and 2 losses. He also had a great 1.62 ERA and one shutout.
Career Numbers
Over his career, Spud Chandler played in 211 games. He had 109 wins and 43 losses. He completed 109 games and had 26 shutouts. His career ERA was 2.84. He struck out 614 batters. He gave up 64 home runs in 1,485 innings pitched. He allowed 1,327 hits.
As a hitter, he had a batting average of .201. He got 110 hits in 548 times at bat. On July 26, 1940, he even hit two home runs in one game. One of them was a grand slam! Spud was also a very good fielder as a pitcher. He made only 10 errors in 501 chances.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Spud Chandler stayed in baseball. He managed teams in the minor leagues. He also became a pitching coach for the Kansas City Athletics in 1957–58. Later, he worked as a scout for several teams. He retired from baseball in 1984.
Honors and Recognition
Spud Chandler was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1969. He also joined the Franklin County Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2000, he was inducted into the University of Georgia Ring of Honor.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
