|
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox during his 23-year major league career. He was identified as one of the most intimidating pitchers in the game with his powerful fastball combined with a hard attitude towards batters. Wynn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Wynn was born in Alabama and signed with the Senators at the age of 17, deciding to pursue baseball instead of finishing high school. He spent a couple of seasons in the minor leagues, had a brief major league stint in 1939, returned to the major leagues in 1941 and pitched his first full MLB season in 1942. He missed the 1945 MLB season and a portion of the next season while serving in the United States Army during the latter part of World War II. Wynn was a member of one of baseball's best pitching rotations along with Bob Feller, Mike Garcia, and Bob Lemon, while with the Indians in the mid-1950s. He won the 1959 Cy Young Award, beginning to rely on the knuckleball as the velocity of his pitches declined. Wynn retired in 1963. He finished with exactly 300 career wins; he had spent several months in pursuit of his 300th win. Wynn served as a coach and broadcaster in the major leagues after his retirement as a player. In 1999, he was included on ''The Sporting News'' list of the 100 greatest players in baseball history. He died that year in an assisted living facility following heart related problems and a stroke. ==Early life== Wynn was born in Hartford, Alabama, the son of Blanche Wynn and Early Wynn Sr., an automobile mechanic and former semipro baseball player. He excelled at both football and baseball in high school. As a sophomore, Wynn was about to become the top running back at his school when he suffered a broken leg on a punt return. The injury forced him out of football and focused his attention on baseball. Wynn later described it as "my best break ever." When he was a teenager, Wynn attended a tryout session in Florida for the Washington Senators. He impressed Senators coach Clyde Milan enough that the organization offered him a minor league contract. Wynn signed with Washington for $100 per month and decided not to finish high school. Between 1937 and 1939, Wynn pitched minor league baseball in the Florida State League and the Piedmont League.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Early Wynn」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|