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67RedSox
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Silas is right...it's time for a little baseball history and since the Rockies' pitching staff (other than Wilton Lopez) is throwing like HOFers I thought it appropriate to mention a couple of Hall of Famers today. It was on this date in 1921 that one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all-time was born, Warren Spahn. Unfortunately, he was just ahead of my time...at least his good years were. Some say he's the greatest LHer of all-time although I'm sure you'll get an argument from some that maybe it was Lefty Grove or Sandy Koufax (the best pitcher I ever saw) or Whitey Ford, Steve Carlton or Randy Johnson. You might be surprised what Spahn considered made him as good a ML pitcher as he was. It was something that he shared in common with another HOF pitcher, Hoyt Wilhelm, who on this date in 1952 hits a HR in his first time to the plate in the Majors. In his second plate appearance he triples and, you know, he never hit another HR or triple in the rest of his 21 year ML career.
Besides being HOF pitchers Spahn and Wilhelm shared something else in common...they were decorated WWII soldiers. I can't use the term 'hero' because Spahn would never allow himself to be called a hero...he reserved that distinction for the soldiers who died on the battle field.
Spahn was a Sergeant with the 9th Armored Division and fought in the snowy, frozen Battle of the Bulge, getting nicked by bullets in the abdomen and back of the head. Crossing France and Belgium, his division arrived at the Rhine River and the Ludendorff railroad bridge at Remagen on March 7, 1945. While retreating, the Nazis had destroyed every intact bridge but the one at Remagen. The demolitions were in place, but for some reason they had never pushed the plunger. The bridge’s defense was crucial to the Allies for delivering men, vehicles and equipment to the German heartland. On March 9, Sergeant Spahn and his 276th combat battalion were ordered to the bridge to remove the demolitions, repair the bridge, maintain it, and construct a second span for two-way traffic. Working furiously to maintain the girders, Spahn and Co. were bombarded by V-2 rockets while troops, tanks, and trucks crossed above them. Spahn received an assignment at a meeting over the center of the bridge and walked off to explain to his platoon that they’d be taking over the bridge’s security at 4 p.m. At 3:56 the bridge, possibly overloaded, certainly bombarded, slipped into the river, leaving 28 soldiers dead, 93 injured, and Sergeant Spahn with shrapnel in his left foot. Having crossed the Rhine, however, the Americans were able to protect a second bridge and other smaller pontoon bridges they built. Surgeons removed Spahn’s shrapnel.
Like Spahn, Wilhelm also saw action Overseas, a lot of it. He spent three years in the service, seeing a lot of combat in Europe and receiving the Purple Heart for wounds he received at the Battle of the Bulge. Spahn and Wilhelm both earned Purple Hearts, but Spahn alone received the Bronze Star and on June 1, 1945, he was the only ballplayer given a battlefield promotion, from staff sergeant to second lieutenant. In all, he earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a battlefield promotion, and a Presidential citation. That made him the most decorated ballplayer in World War II.
It was those experiences as soldiers that matured Spahn and Wilhelm and helped make them the ball players they became and made playing the game anything but work.
Besides being HOF pitchers Spahn and Wilhelm shared something else in common...they were decorated WWII soldiers. I can't use the term 'hero' because Spahn would never allow himself to be called a hero...he reserved that distinction for the soldiers who died on the battle field.
Spahn was a Sergeant with the 9th Armored Division and fought in the snowy, frozen Battle of the Bulge, getting nicked by bullets in the abdomen and back of the head. Crossing France and Belgium, his division arrived at the Rhine River and the Ludendorff railroad bridge at Remagen on March 7, 1945. While retreating, the Nazis had destroyed every intact bridge but the one at Remagen. The demolitions were in place, but for some reason they had never pushed the plunger. The bridge’s defense was crucial to the Allies for delivering men, vehicles and equipment to the German heartland. On March 9, Sergeant Spahn and his 276th combat battalion were ordered to the bridge to remove the demolitions, repair the bridge, maintain it, and construct a second span for two-way traffic. Working furiously to maintain the girders, Spahn and Co. were bombarded by V-2 rockets while troops, tanks, and trucks crossed above them. Spahn received an assignment at a meeting over the center of the bridge and walked off to explain to his platoon that they’d be taking over the bridge’s security at 4 p.m. At 3:56 the bridge, possibly overloaded, certainly bombarded, slipped into the river, leaving 28 soldiers dead, 93 injured, and Sergeant Spahn with shrapnel in his left foot. Having crossed the Rhine, however, the Americans were able to protect a second bridge and other smaller pontoon bridges they built. Surgeons removed Spahn’s shrapnel.
Like Spahn, Wilhelm also saw action Overseas, a lot of it. He spent three years in the service, seeing a lot of combat in Europe and receiving the Purple Heart for wounds he received at the Battle of the Bulge. Spahn and Wilhelm both earned Purple Hearts, but Spahn alone received the Bronze Star and on June 1, 1945, he was the only ballplayer given a battlefield promotion, from staff sergeant to second lieutenant. In all, he earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a battlefield promotion, and a Presidential citation. That made him the most decorated ballplayer in World War II.
It was those experiences as soldiers that matured Spahn and Wilhelm and helped make them the ball players they became and made playing the game anything but work.