McLEAN COUNTY HISTORY & GENEALOGY NEWS
By Euleen Rickard
The headline in sports on November 24th was “Hall of Fame Pitcher Warren Spahn Dies.” And baseball fans are mourning that loss. Now you are wondering how Warren Spahn ties in with McLean County history. It is a story of World War II days when McLean’s young men and women were scattered over the world and my Uncle Ed Blades of Island was serving down in Texas on the same army base as pitcher Spahn. It was 1943.
Spahn started his baseball career in his hometown of Buffola, New York where he played first base for the Buffalo Lake City Athletic Club. He had been a good pitcher in high school and in 1940 signed with the Boston Braves for $80 a month.
He had a 21-year pitching career, mostly with the Boston Braves and the Milwaukee Braves. He threw two no-hitters and still holds the National League record for home runs by a pitcher with 35. His record 363 wins, is still the record for left-handed pitchers. After his career with the Braves he pitched in Mexico and again in the minor leagues, retiring when he was forty-seven years old. He was criticized for pitching so long but said he continued because he “enjoyed pitching and playing the game.”
My Uncle Ed never played baseball but he loved the game and umpired in the Kentucky-Indiana League. For several years the Island Eagles played in that league and had many winning seasons. The Island teams had a great following and every week the stands and sidelines were filled with fans. John Kirtley, a state representative and Governor Albert “Happy” Chandler often were in the crowd.
Warren Spahn and Ed Blades found themselves on the same army base in Texas. One playing for the base team, the other umpiring.
It was a hot day in Texas. The base team was playing a town team. The announcer stepped to the mike and loudly proclaimed “Today we have the great pitcher Warren Spahn of the Boston Braves pitching for the base team.” There was much cheering and whistling from the crowd. When the cheering ceased Ed wanting to give his home team and town a plug stepped to the mike and proudly said,” Ladies and Gentlemen, your umpire today will be Ed Blades of the Island, Kentucky Eagles, Play ball.”
Warren Spahn served in Europe, fought in the battle of the Bulge, was decorated with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart and was awarded a battlefield commission. He came home to finish his brilliant career.
Ed fought in many of the same battles in Germany. During the fighting his company was fired on by friendly forces and he volunteered to crawl through the fire to stop the firing. He survived that mission but was killed in a fierce battle later that day. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star and the Purple Heart that was presented to his mother in a ceremony at Fort Campbell.
So the lives of the great Boston Braves pitcher and the Island, Kentucky Eagle’s umpire paralleled for a while and both achieved greatness in the minds and hearts of those who knew them.