Sept. 8, 1963 - Warren Spahn, Milwaukee’s 42-year-old pitching great, hurled the Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Phillies today at Connie Mack Stadium and became a 20-game winner for the 13th time. He tied Christy Mathewson for the most 20-victory seasons in National League history. The major league record for 20-victory seasons is 16, held by Cy Young. Young pitched for Cleveland and Boston in the American League and St. Louis in the National League, mostly before the turn of the century. Mathewson compiled his record with the New York Giants. Today, Gene Oliver produced the deciding blow with a 2-run homer that broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth. Spahn, who recently took over seventh place among baseball’s career winners, earned his 347th victory by scattering nine hits. The victory was the fifth in a row for the third-place Braves, and Spahn said: “If the season lasted just another week, there’s no question in my mind but that we’d win the pennant.” Someone yelled over, “Hey, old man, when are you going to quit?” “I can’t afford to quit, need the money,” Spahn yelled back. “You can’t afford to quit,” interrupted Oliver, “and we can’t afford to have you quit. How can we give away 20 games?” “It’s like this,” Spahn said more seriously. “Winning 20 games means job security for next year. If I win 12 or 13, they have a lot of young fellows on the club who can do that. I have to prove myself all over again each year when I come to spring training. I’m 0-0, like everybody else. I got a job if I can do it.” Spahn said he felt fine physically and that he has a positive attitude. “I don’t worry about walking batters, for example. I know I can throw strikes.”
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