WARREN SPAHN AWARD

The winning-est left-handed pitcher of all time, Warren Spahn was a complete player who helped himself at bat and in the field. He was the mainstay of the Braves' pitching staff for two decades. Spahn won 20 games, a Major League record-tying 13 times, pitched two no-hitters, and led the National League in strikeouts for four consecutive years. He had a deceptive pick-off move to first base, and teammate Johnny Sain called him "one of the smartest men ever to play the game." Warren Spahn is considered the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time in Major League Baseball.

The Warren Spahn Award Gala is a time to remember the accomplishments of three great athletes and to celebrate the accomplishments of professional athletes and student athletes and coaches. The Gala is centered on the accomplishments of Warren Spahn, as well as, Michelle Smith and Ferguson Jenkins.

In its first nine years of existence, the Warren Spahn Award Gala was hosted at the Masonic Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma. In 2008, the Gala moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City, in connection with the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame as the proud owner of the Warren Spahn Award.

After nearly 15 years in Oklahoma City, the Warren Spahn Award Gala had become a premier event in the State of Oklahoma. The Gala was the only event in Oklahoma in which a major league athlete is honored for their accomplishments on the playing field. The Gala raised funds for the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and its Bright Path youth programs, which advocate for healthy living, benefit student athletes and support surrounding communities. Since the pandemic, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame has begun partnering with the award winner's MLB team to present the Warren Spahn Award live at an MLB home game.

The Warren Spahn Award furthers Oklahoma City’s reputation as a Big League City, honors our state’s athletic heritage and raises funding for local charities.

"What is life, after all, but a challenge? And what better challenge can there be than the one between the pitcher and the hitter."

-Warren Spahn