Karl Spooner
Encyclopedia
Karl Benjamin Spooner was a Major League Baseball
left-handed pitcher.
Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers
as an amateur free agent in 1951, Spooner would make his Major League Baseball
debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 22, 1954 and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1955 when he started game 6 of the 1955 World Series.
Spooner was considered by many in Major League Baseball
to be the next superstar after his stellar rookie year of 1954. Although he only started two games on the mound for the Dodgers, Spooner, compiled two complete game
shutouts, throwing all 18 innings
, giving up 7 total hits and no runs. Spooner struck out 15 batters in his very first game, setting a Major League record. J. R. Richard would tie the record in 1971.
However, during spring training
prior to the 1955 season, Spooner entered a game without warming up properly. A severe arm injury was the result, and Spooner would only appear in 29 more games in his career. Prior to the injury, Spooner yielded a fastball
that ranged in the mid to high 90s.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed pitcher.
Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as an amateur free agent in 1951, Spooner would make his Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 22, 1954 and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1955 when he started game 6 of the 1955 World Series.
Spooner was considered by many in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
to be the next superstar after his stellar rookie year of 1954. Although he only started two games on the mound for the Dodgers, Spooner, compiled two complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutouts, throwing all 18 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, giving up 7 total hits and no runs. Spooner struck out 15 batters in his very first game, setting a Major League record. J. R. Richard would tie the record in 1971.
However, during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
prior to the 1955 season, Spooner entered a game without warming up properly. A severe arm injury was the result, and Spooner would only appear in 29 more games in his career. Prior to the injury, Spooner yielded a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that ranged in the mid to high 90s.