There have been some incredible pitchers in the history of the Atlanta Braves. However, very few of them achieve legendary status. Warren Spahn is one of those pitchers to earn that title. He spent nearly his entire career with the organization and is still talked about today for his excellent achievements.
Spahn pitched for 21 seasons until he reached the age of 44. He finished his career with a 3.09 ERA, 2,583 strikeouts, 382 complete games, and a 3.46 FIP. Those are numbers worthy of the Hall of Fame. There were many impressive feats for Spahn during his tenure in Major League Baseball. However, there is one that stands out.
Braves History: Warren Spahn becomes the second-oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter
On April 28th, 1961, Spahn accomplished something that had been done very few times. He became the second-oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter. He was 40 years old, 5 days, and the only other pitcher above him at the time was Cy Young.
He earned the no-hitter in a 1-0 Braves win over the Giants at County Stadium. Hank Aaron drove in the only run of that game as well. The talented lefty walked two and struck out five, including Willie Mays twice, for his second career no-hitter.
According to MLB.com's Manny Randhawa, it was Spahn's second no-no in six starts. "The previous one came on Sept. 16, 1960, against the Phillies at Milwaukee's County Stadium. The second no-hitter also lowered his season ERA to 0.96 in three starts."
There weren't many pitchers who could accomplish that to this day. It's still a rare feat for a pitcher to throw a no-hitter at the end of their career. There's a reason Spahn's number has been immortalized at Truist Park.
Some pitchers eventually surpassed Spahn on this list, but he is still in the top five. Nolan Ryan holds the top two spots, having thrown no-hitters at ages 43 and 44. Randy Johnson nudged out Spahn with his perfect game against the Braves in 2004 at 40 years, 251 days.
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