Spud Chandler

Spud Chandler
Pitcher
Born:(1907-09-12)September 12, 1907 Commerce, Georgia,U.S.
Died:January 9, 1990(1990-01-09)(aged 82) South Pasadena, Florida,U.S.
Batted:Right Threw:Right
MLB debut
May 6, 1937, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 26, 1947, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	109–43
Earned run average	2.84
Strikeouts	614
Teams
New York Yankees(1937–1947)
Career highlights and awards
4×All-Star(1942,1943,1946,1947) 6×World Serieschampion (1937–1939,1941,1943,1947) AL MVP(1943) AL wins leader(1943) AL ERA leader(1943)

Spurgeon Ferdinand"Spud"Chandler(September 12, 1907 – January 9, 1990) was anAmericanprofessionalbaseballplayer. He played inMajor League Baseballas a right-handedstarting pitcherand played his entire career for theNew York Yankeesfrom 1937 through 1947.

He was named theAmerican League'sMost Valuable Playerin1943after anchoring the team's pitching staff with 20winsand only 4 losses as New York won its third consecutive pennant; his 1.64earned run averagein 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 since 1876.

Early life

Chandler was born inCommerce, Georgiato Leonard Ferdinand Chandler (1871–1942) and Olivia Catherine Hix (1872–1957).He grew up inFranklin Countyand graduated fromCarnesvilleHigh School in 1928,and attended theUniversity of Georgia.He playedfootballas ahalfback,throwing a touchdown pass to help defeatYalein a 1929 game dedicating a new stadium. He also pitched for the baseball team and competed on thetrackteam. He was a brother of theAlpha Gamma Rhofraternity and graduated with a degree inagriculture.

Professional career

Chandler spent five seasons in the Yankees organization after signing with the team, his favorite since boyhood. Chandler 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 sixcomplete games(including twoshutouts). The following year, he was 14–5, and in 1939 he was 3–0 in 11 relief appearances. Although the Yankees won theWorld Seriesin each of those 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 in1942,finishing third in the AL with a 2.38 ERA and earning his first of fourAll-Starselections. He was the All-Star Game's winning pitcher in 1942. Chandler had one start in the World Series each year, but lost both times, as the Yankees won in 1941 and lost in 1942.

His greatest year came in 1943. In addition to his outstanding ERA, he led the league with 20 wins in 30 starts, as well as 20 complete games and five shutouts. In 253 innings pitched, he gave up 46 earned runs, allowing only fivehome runs.Chandler's 134strikeoutswere third in the league, and equalled his combined total of the previous two seasons. He made the AL All-Star team for the second time. Chandler finally had a successfulWorld Series,pitching two complete game victories, including a shutout in the final Game 5, as the Yankees defeated theSt. Louis Cardinals.Winning the MVP award, he beat outLuke Applingof the Chicago White Sox. Chandler remains the only Yankee pitcher to win the Most Valuable Player award.

Chandler, circa 1947

After one start in 1944, he entered World War II military service with theArmyfor nearly all of the next two seasons.He returned in1946with another All-Star season, going 20–8 with a 2.10 ERA (2nd in the league toHal 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 in1947,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 historic1947 World Seriesagainst theBrooklyn 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.

Career statistics

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 in 1,485 innings pitched, allowed 1,327 hits. As a hitter, he had a batting average of.201, with a.234 on-base percentage; he had 110 hits in 548at batsin his career, and on July 26, 1940, hit two home runs including agrand slam.Chandler was also a fine fielding pitcher, committing only 10 errors in 501 total chances for a career.980fielding percentage.

Coaching and scouting career

Chandler latermanagedin the minor leagues, became pitching coach with theKansas City Athleticsin 1957–58, and scouted for several teams before retiring in 1984.

Legacy

He was inducted into theGeorgia Sports Hall of Famein 1969 and into theFranklin County Sports Hall of Famein 1997. He would later be inducted into the University of Georgia Ring of Honor in 2000.

Personal life

Chandler died at age 82, and his sons Richard and Frank Chandler, both of St. Petersburg, FL have also died. His grandchildren include Richard, Kelly, Rick and Jason Chandler.

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

Further reading

• Honig, Donald (1975)Baseball When the Grass Was Real: Baseball from the Twenties to the Forties Told by the Men Who Played It.New York: Coward, McGann & Geoghegan. pp. 223–236.SBN698-10660-1.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromBaseball Reference
• The New Georgia EncyclopediaArchived2012-02-05 at theWayback Machine
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
• Spud Chandlerat theSABR Baseball Biography Project