Johnny Sain, 89, Steady Curveballer

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The New York Sun

Johnny Sain, a three-time All-Star from Arkansas who teamed with Warren Spahn to make up one of baseball’s most fabled pitching tandems, died Tuesday. He was 89.

Sain’s best year was 1948, when he and Hall of Famer Spahn led the Boston Braves to the World Series, where they lost to Cleveland. It was during that season when the famous saying was born: “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.”

Sain, of Havana, Ark., was 139-116 with a 3.49 ERA in 11 seasons in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly with the Braves and New York Yankees. He won three straight World Series titles with Casey Stengel’s Yankees from 1951-53.

The right-hander made his major league debut in 1942, then spent from 1943-45 in the military during World War II. He returned to the big leagues in 1946.

Sain was a four-time 20-game winner and later became a top reliever, leading the AL with 22 saves in 1954.

Sain topped the majors with 24 victories and 28 complete games in 1948. He beat Hall of Famer Bob Feller and the Indians 1-0 in Game 1 of the World Series that season.

Later, Sain became a popular pitching coach with the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota, Detroit and Atlanta.


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