NL Era Leaders

Michael Francis “Mike” McCormick (September 29, 1938-) is a retired left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons, and captured the 1967 National League Cy Young Award. He also holds the distinction of having surrendered Hank Aaron’s 500th home run in 1968. The New York Giants signed McCormick in 1956 as a “bonus baby,” ushering straight into the big leagues that season, at the age of 17. In 11 total seasons with the club (1956-1962, 1967-1970), including following them to San Francisco, McCormick was 107-96. A trade to the Baltimore Orioles (1963-1964) left Mike with a 6-10 record and ended with a trade to the Washington Senators, where he managed a slightly better 19-22 record over two years. His return to the Giants in 1967 proved to revitalize the pitcher, and saw him lead the league in wins while going 22-10 with a 2.85 ERA. He also held the distinction of having defeated every NL team (other than the Giants) that year. That season, Mike became the first pitcher in Giants’ franchise history to win the Cy Young Award. In the middle of the 1970 season, McCormick was traded to the New York Yankees, who released him before the start of the next season. He then signed with the Kansas City Royals, with whom he played only four games in 1971 before retiring. With a 134-128 lifetime record, he also had a 3.73 ERA in 484 games.

Curtis Thomas Simmons (May 19, 1929-) struck out 11 Philadelphia Phillies in 1947 as a rising high school star pitching in a game pitting a Pennsylvania high school all-star team against the Major League club. Simmons was later signed with Philadelphia and began his career as a member of the 1950 Phillies Whiz Kids. Simmons went 17-8 despite missing a month due to military training, and eventually missed the World Series as his unit was activated. Curt had continued success in Philadelphia winning 10 or more game in six seasons from 1950-1957. In 1952, he led the National League in shutouts earning his first of three All-Star Game appearances. Curt pitched 20 seasons in the Majors with the Phillies (1947-1950, 1952-1960), the St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1966), the Chicago Cubs (1966-1967) and the California Angels (1967). In 1964, Simmons was a member of the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Curt Simmons finished his career in 1967 with a 193-183 record over 20 seasons with 1,697 strikeouts, 163 complete games and 36 shutouts while posting a 3.54 ERA.

Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 - November 24, 2003) is the winningest left-handed pitcher in the history of the Major Leagues with 363 victories. Topping the 20-win mark 13 times during his 21-year career made him one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League in any era. Spahn pitched for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1942, 1946-1964) for virtually his entire career, earning 17 All-Star selections. Spahn was the ace of the Braves pitching staff helping the heavy hitting squad to three National League pennants and one World Series Championship in 1957. Warren also captured the Cy Young Award in 1957 after posting a 21-11 record with 18 complete games, 130 strikeouts and a 2.69 ERA. Warren Spahn threw his first no-hitter in 1960 at the age of 39 and his second the following year. At age 42, Spahn’s extraordinary durability was exemplified in 1963 when he faced San Francisco’s Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal in a 16-inning loss where Spahn threw 201 pitches and Marichal hurled 227 to take the 1-0 win. Warren Spahn retired in 1965 with a 363-245 record, 2,583 strikeouts and a 3.08 earned run average. Warren Edward Spahn was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.