Exactly 300, Not One to Spare

Some milestones arrive with a parade. Early Wynn's 300th win arrived in the second game of a doubleheader in Kansas City, in front of about 13,500 fans, with Wynn watching the final innings from the broadcast booth.

Getting there took ten months. Wynn won number 299 for the White Sox in September 1962, came up empty in four more starts, and was released after the season. Chicago brought him to spring training in 1963 and cut him again. At 43, it looked like he'd finish one win short.

Then Cleveland called. Team president Gabe Paul framed it as a baseball decision: the Indians needed pitching, and a competitor like Wynn would be good for the staff. In his first start back, Wynn went the distance and lost 2-0 on a ninth-inning homer. His next two starts were Cleveland wins, but no-decisions for him.

When number 300 finally came, it wasn't pretty. Wynn gave up four runs in five innings, and Jerry Walker threw four scoreless innings to protect the lead. Afterward, Wynn admitted, "It seems a little strange, though, after waiting so long for it."

It was the last game he ever won. He finished the season with a 2.28 ERA, then joined the coaching staff in the same city where he'd learned to pitch. Exactly 300, and not one to spare.