From 1932 to 1937, Dizzy Dean was a professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. During those five years, he dominated the National League and led the team to a World Series victory. Despite his injury-shortened career, he was elected to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. After his playing days, his colorful personality and knowledge of the game led to a successful career as a baseball broadcaster.
Growing Up
Jay Hanna Dean, also known as Dizzy Dean, was born in Lucas, Arkansas, on January 16, 1910. At age 8, his mother, Alma, died from tuberculosis. So Dean was raised mostly by his father, Albert, who was mostly absent from their home life while working as a farmer and sawmill laborer.
The family, which included his brother, Paul "Daffy" Dean, eventually moved to Oklahoma, where Dean's school grades and attendance suffered. In 1926, he enlisted in the Army at the age of 16. He had the equivalent of a fourth-grade education and was likely to end up as a laborer if it were not for his skill at throwing a baseball.
"Dizzy" Dean
There has been some debate about how Dean received his famous nickname "Dizzy." The generally accepted explanation comes from an incident during his military career. While working in the kitchen, Dean' s sergeant caught him pitching peeled potatoes against garbage can lids. Reportedly, the sergeant called Dean a "dizzy son-of-a-bitch," and the name stuck. Some others claim the nickname was based on how his pitches would make batters dizzy.
Professional Baseball
After leaving the Army in 1929, Dean signed a baseball contract with a minor league baseball team in Houston. During this time he met his future wife, Patricia Nash, who became his business manager as well as his partner for life. He played two seasons in Houston before his contract was purchased by the Major League St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1933, Dean emerged as one of the top pitchers in the National League, winning 20 games and setting a record of striking out 17 batters in a game; a record that has been topped by only a handful of pitchers since. The following season Dean would win 30 games for the Cardinals, a total no one has been able to match. Dean was elected to the all-star game that season and was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
Dean and his brother, "Daffy," helped the Cardinals win the World Series, with each winning two games in the best of seven series. In 1953, Dean was elected in the Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.
Broadcasting Career
By 1937, Dean's career began to falter. An arm and toe injury, suffered during games, ultimately forced him to miss playing time. The Cardinals, fearing he would never recover from the injuries, traded Dean to the Chicago Cubs. He only managed to win 16 games for the Cubs over the next few years, and he eventually retired.
But soon after retirement, Dean was hired by a St. Louis radio station that aired Cardinal home games. He became part of a new generation of former players becoming commentators. Dean also had a colorful and humorous personality, and a unique slang, that made him popular with listeners. He eventually crossed over to television in the 1950 and 1960s before retiring.
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