Spud Chandler

Spurgeon Ferdinand "Spud" Chandler (September 12, 1907 – January 9, 1990) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed starting pitcher and played his entire career for the New York Yankees from 1937 through 1947.

He was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 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 since 1876.

Early life Chandler was born in Commerce, Georgia to Leonard Ferdinand Chandler (1871–1942) and Olivia Catherine Hix (1872–1957). He grew up in Franklin County and graduated from Carnesville High School in 1928, and attended the University of Georgia. He 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. He was a brother of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and graduated with a degree in agriculture.

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 six complete games (including two shutouts). The following year, he was 14–5, and in 1939 he was 3–0 in 11 relief appearances. Although the Yankees won the World Series in 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 in , 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. 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 five home runs. Chandler's 134 strikeouts were 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 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. 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. Chandler was also a fine fielding pitcher, committing only 10 errors in 501 total chances for a career .980 fielding percentage.

Coaching and scouting career Chandler 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.

Legacy He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1969 and into the Franklin County Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He would later be inducted into the University of Georgia Ring of Honor in 2000.

Personal life Chandler married Frances Willard in 1939, and they had three children, one of whom died hours after being born.

Chandler died on January 9, 1990 at Pasadena Manor in South Pasadena, Florida after several strokes, aged 82. He was survived by his wife and two sons.