Spud Chandler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spud Chandler
Starting pitcher
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 6, 1937 for the New York Yankees
Final game
September 26, 1947 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics
Record	109-43
ERA	2.84
Strikeouts	614
Teams
New York Yankees (1937-1947)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (AL): 1942-1943, 1946-1947 MVP (AL): 1943 Major League Player of the Year (MLB): 1943 Only Yankee pitcher to ever win a MVP Award Highest career winning percentage (.717) for any pitcher with at least 100 victories or 1000 innings pitched Led the American League in ERA in 1943 Led the American League in wins in 1943

Spurgeon Ferdinand "Spud" Chandler (September 12, 1907 - January 9, 1990) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the New York Yankees from 1937 through 1947. He was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1943 after anchoring the team's pitching staff with 20 wins and only 4 losses as New York won its third consecutive pennant; his 1.64 earned run average in that season was the lowest by any major league pitcher between 1920 and 1967, and remains a Yankees team record. In eleven seasons, he never suffered a losing record; with a total of 109 wins and 43 losses, his career winning percentage of .717 is the highest of any pitcher with at least 100 victories.

[edit] Biography

Chandler attended the University of Georgia, near his birthplace and hometown of Royston, Georgia, and played football as a halfback, throwing a touchdown pass to help defeat Yale in a 1929 game dedicating a new stadium; he also pitched for the baseball team and competed on the track team. After graduating with a degree in agriculture, he spent five seasons in the Yankees organization after signing with the team, his favorite since boyhood. He finally made his major league debut at age 29 on May 6, 1937, and went 7-4 that season with a 2.84 ERA and 6 complete games (including 2 shutouts). The following year he was 14-5, and in 1939 he was 3-0 in 11 relief appearances; but although the Yankees won the World Series in each of the three years, Chandler did not appear in the postseason. Bothered by injuries during his early career, after records of 8-7 and 10-4 in 1940 and 1941 he improved further to 16-5 in 1942, finishing third in the AL with a 2.38 ERA and earning his first of four All-Star selections; he was the All-Star Game's winning pitcher in 1942. He had one start in the World Series each year, but lost both times, as the Yankees won in 1941 and lost in 1942.

By far his most outstanding year came in 1943. That year, in addition to his record-setting ERA, he led the league with 20 wins in 30 starts, and also with 20 complete games and 5 shutouts. In 253 innings pitched, he gave up 46 earned runs, only 5 of which came via home runs. His 134 strikeouts were 3rd in the league, and equalled his combined total of the previous two seasons; he made the AL All-Star team for the second time. He finally had a successful World Series, pitching two complete game victories including a shutout in the final Game 5, as the Yankees defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. Winning the MVP award, he beat out Luke Appling of the Chicago White Sox, who had won his second batting title with a .328 mark, along with 192 hits, 33 doubles, and an on base percentage of .419; he also drove in 80 runs and stole 28 bases. Chandler remains the only Yankee pitcher to win the Most Valuable Player award.

After one start in 1944, he entered World War II military service with the Army for nearly all of the next two seasons. He returned in 1946 with another All-Star season, going 20-8 with a 2.10 ERA (2nd in the league to Hal Newhouser) and a career-high 138 strikeouts. That year he also had 20 complete games for the second time in his career. He earned his last All-Star selection in 1947, but finished the year with only a 9-5 record as injuries ended his career at age 40. He pitched for the last time in the historic 1947 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, pitching two relief innings in a Game 3 loss. In four World Series, he had a 2-2 record with a 1.62 ERA, 16 strikeouts, and 1 shutout.

Over his career Chandler was 109-43 in 211 games (109 complete, 26 shutouts), with a 2.84 ERA. He had 614 career strikeouts and gave up 64 home runs and 1327 hits. As a hitter, he had a batting average of .201, with a .234 on base percentage; he had 110 hits in 548 at bats in his career, and on July 26, 1940 had two home runs including a grand slam. He later managed in the minor leagues, became pitching coach with the Kansas City Athletics in 1957-58, and scouted for several teams before retiring in 1984. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1969.

Chandler died at age 82 in South Pasadena, Florida. He was married and had two sons. He was inducted into the University of Georgia Circle of Honor in 2000.