At the end of a roller-coaster season, it was fitting that the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals’ final game was a madcap affair, complete with a fight between players, a near-riot in the stands, and Dizzy Dean testing out new pitches en route to an 11-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 7 of the […]
After pitching their second complete game in three days, most men would have applied every cube of ice they could find to their aching pitching arm. After shutting out the Reds on the final day of the 1934 season to secure the National League championship, Dizzy Dean had other ideas. Shortly after Dean walked off
How Dizzy Dean earned his 30th win in 1934 Read More »
On July 27, 1953, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally recognized Dizzy Dean as one of the game’s elite. “It’s the greatest honor I ever received,” Dean said. “I want to thank the good Lord for giving me a good right arm, a strong back, and a weak mind.”[1] Dean was inducted alongside Al Simmons, a
Dizzy Dean is inducted into the Hall of Fame: July 27, 1953 Read More »
The same day the Cardinals lost one of the best pitchers in franchise history, another claimed his 3,000th strikeout victim. On July 17, 1974, Bob Gibson claimed the 3,000th strikeout of his career, retiring Cesar Geronimo on strikes in a 6-4 loss to the Reds. Early that morning, Dizzy Dean, the unquestioned ace of the
July 17, 1974: Bob Gibson gets his 3,000th strikeout the same day Dizzy Dean passes away Read More »
On July 16, 1935, as he accepted the Sporting News 1934 National League Most Valuable Player trophy, Dizzy Dean took the opportunity to win over the fans once again following a brief controversy regarding an exhibition game in Illinois. It was, perhaps, surprising that Dean had to win over the fans at all after his
July 16, 1935: Dizzy Dean wins over the crowd as he accepts the NL MVP trophy Read More »
Dizzy Dean may not have been at his best when he faced the Reds July 1, 1934, at Crosley Field, but his 17-inning pitching performance kept the Cardinals in the game long enough to top Cincinnati, 8-6. Dean entered the game having won 11 of his last 12 decisions and each of his last four
Two months after signing his first major-league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, Paul Dean’s burgeoning career was at a crossroads. His big brother, Dizzy Dean, had taken it upon himself to serve as Paul’s spokesperson, telling anyone who would listen that his little brother was an even better pitcher than he was, and predicting
May 11, 1934: Paul Dean turns his rookie season around Read More »
In many ways, the 1934 season marked the passing of a torch. Babe Ruth, the premier slugger of his era, played his final season with the New York Yankees. As Ruth’s career was winding down, young Dizzy Dean vaulted to the national spotlight. As the Oklahoma farmboy led the Gashouse Gang to the World Series
May 5, 1935: Dizzy Dean faces Babe Ruth Read More »
With the National League championship wrapped up and a berth to the World Series guaranteed, the St. Louis Cardinals used their regular-season finale to get their first glimpse of 20-year-old Jay Hanna Dean – more commonly known as Dizzy Dean. One year prior, Dean had been pitching while stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort
Dizzy Dean makes his major league debut: September 28, 1930 Read More »
After watching Dizzy Dean spin a three-hit shutout and Paul Dean throw the second no-hitter in St. Louis Cardinals history, Brooklyn Times-Union sportswriter Bill McCullough was moved to poetry with his lede in the next day’s paper: You may sing the praises of Mickey Cochrane’s Tigers and the glory of the Giants from the housetops.
How Paul Dean threw the second no-hitter in Cardinals history Read More »