Karl Spooner
From BR Bullpen
Karl Benjamin Spooner
- Bats Right, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut September 22, 1954
- Final Game September 17, 1955
- Born June 23, 1931 in Oriskany Falls, NY USA
- Died April 10, 1984 in Vero Beach, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
". . . the greatest young pitcher I’ve ever seen" - Roy Campanella, after seeing Karl Spooner's debut performance in the majors
Karl Spooner set the record for most strikeouts in a debut, with 15 against the New York Giants on September 22, 1954. J.R. Richard now shares that record. He then struck out 12 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the next game. Both games were shutouts.
He had some arm troubles in 1955, but managed to go 8-6 with an 3.65 ERA and 2 saves. He even hit .286. He appeared in 2 World Series games, losing his only start in Game 6, in the year when the Dodgers finally won. They were his last major league appearances, due to his arm problems.
In the minors, he had notable performances going 11-6 in a partial season with Pueblo in 1953 and going 21-9 with Fort Worth in 1954 (and winning two more with the Dodgers at the tail end of 1954).
After baseball, he worked as a packing-house manager for the Haffield Citrus Corporation and lived in Vero Beach, FL. He died at the age of 52.
[edit] Notable Achievement
- Won a World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955
