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This site is dedicated to the memory of my Dad, Robert H. "Bob" Knell, Sr., the greatest Cardinal fan ever!!!

 

 

 

1934 World Champions

versus

95-58       

     101-53

The Story | Season Highlights | W.S. Opponent | Game Summaries | Series Box Score | Series MVP | World Series Program

 

The Story of the 1934 Championship Season

Following the Series victory in 1931, the Cards took a huge tumble to finish 72-82 in sixth place, 18 games behind the pennant winners.  In fact, this "record" tumble was the worst ever for a Cardinal team, surpassed only by the 1965 team.  This began a shake-up seeing Hafey, Bottomley and Grimes all depart to various other clubs in 1932.  Shortstop Charley Gelbert was injured in a hunting accident during the off-season and was done with baseball.  His replacement, Leo Durocher, cost the Cardinals the young pitcher Derringer.

The 1933 campaign resulted in Street being fired in July, being replaced with Frisch.  The second baseman made an ideal leader for the rough-and-tumble, fun-loving Gashouse Gang.  He could be tough, often prone to shouting and threatening his players during and after losses.  But he endured their practical jokes as well.

Frank Frisch - 1934 Cardinal field generalThe 1934 Cardinals remain one of baseball's unforgettable teams.  Their "hellbent" syle of play earned them their "Gashouse Gang" label; originally meant to be critical, it became the banner they sailed under because it seemed fitting and right, and the players came to be proud of it.  But Frisch also tried to introduce some discipline at spring training - no drinking, no gambling, players in bed by midnight on road trips.  Not that the Cardinal players obeyed Frisch's edicts all the time.  They might not have had it in them.

The Gang had quite a cast of characters, including Dizzy Dean, at peak form that year with a 30-7 record, and his younger brother Paul, nicknamed "Daffy," though he was as reserved as Dizzy was gregarious, who was 19-11.  Rip Collins took over first base, batting .333, driving in 128 runs, and tying for the lead in homeruns with 35.  The 35-year-old Frisch played second and batted .305.  Durocher was at short and Martin at 3rd, as chattery a left side as any infield has ever had.  Medwick was now in left, batting .319 and driving in 106 runs.  Ernie Orsatti, a snazzy character who was a Hollywood agent in the off-season, was in center, batting .300.  Former American Leaguer Jack Rothrock was in right.  Catching were Spud Davis (.300) and young Bill Delancey (.316).  Behind the Deans were Tex Carleton (16-11) and lefty Bill Walker (12-4).

Going into the season, the rest of the N.L. assumed the Giants would repeat as league champs.  But John McGraw, their manager, died unexpectedly of cancer at the age of 60 just before the spring training.  The Cardinals didn't fall into that line and took a modest us-against-the-world attitude right out of camp.  Frisch assessed the pennant race by saying in March, "Tight.  The Giants have the edge because they're the champions.  The Cubs have been strengthened by the addition of Chuck Klein.  The Pirates and also the Braves will be tough.  And," he said, with a puff of his cigar, "we'll be in there, too."

They won 24 of 33 games in one stretch to move into first place for nine days in late May and early June, slipping out on June 6.  The Cardinals' didn't regain the top spot in the league until Saturday, September 29 - the second-to-last day of the season.  That day was the culmination of a stretch drive that saw the Cards win 51 of their last 75 games.  

They survived adversity from the outside and dissention from within.  This included a stint of revolt from the Dean boys as well as a rumor that the team would be sold to the highest bidder.  Breadon denied the rumor, of course, but it was September and the Cards needed a push.  And boy did they ever get it!

September belonged to the now-giddy Deans.  Diz and Paul combined to win 12 games that final month.  The team went 20-5.  The Cubs had held first place, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Cardinals, with only 14 games remaining.  The Cards won 13 of their final 15, six of their last 7.  Check out the Dizzy Dean page to see more details of the amazing run of innings pitched.

"I don't know what happened," Giants manager Bill Terry said after his team's final game left it two games behind the Cardinals.  "I guess the best team won."

After having faced the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Athletics in their previous four World Series appearances, the Cardinals found themselves up against another powerhouse opponent in the Detroit Tigers.  Led by catcher Mickey Cochrane, Detroit had won its first pennant in 25 years, sending the city on wheels into extremes of delight.  (Cochrane had been sold from the Athletics to the Tigers by a cash-hungry Connie Mack.)

On paper, the Tigers were the stronger team.  But as wise men have been known to say, the game is not played on paper but on grass.  And anyway, that noted prognosticator Dizzy Dean had already announced that "Me 'n Paul" would win two games apiece. 

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1934 Regular Season Highlights


Manager: Frank Frisch

 

 

World Series Lineup

1. Martin, 3B
2. Rothrock, RF
3. Frisch, 2B
4. Medwick, LF
5. Collins, 1B
6. DeLancey, C
7. Orsatti, CF
8. Durocher, SS
9. pitcher

Regular Season Offensive Performances

Pos.

Name

AVG

2B

3B

HR

RBI

Runs

SB

Notables

1B

Collins

.333 40 12 35 128 116 2 league leader in HR

2B

Frisch

.305 30 6 3 75 74 11  

SS

Durocher

.260 26 5 3 70 62 2  

3B

Martin

.289 25 11 5 49 76 23 league leader in SB

LF

Medwick

.319 40 18 18 106 110 3 league leader in 3B

CF

Orsatti

.300 14 4 0 31 39 6  

RF

Rothrock

.284 35 3 11 72 106 10  

C

Davis/Delancey

.310 23 7 22 105 86 1 nice platoon totals

Team

 

.288 294 75 104 748 799 69 Several league leaders

Regular Season Pitching Performances

Pos.

Name

W-L

SO

Sv.

G

GS

CG

SHO

ERA

Notables

SP

J. Dean 30-7 195 7 50 33 24 7 2.66 unbelievable

SP

P. Dean 19-11 150 2 39 26 16 5 3.43  

SP

Carleton 16-11 103 2 40 31 16 0 4.26  

SP

Walker 12-4 76 0 24 19 10 1 3.12  

SP

Hallahan 8-12 70 0 32 26 10 2 4.26  

RP

Haines 4-4 17 1 37 6 0 0 3.50  

Team

  95-58 689 16 154 154 78 15 3.69 Several league leaders

Team Accomplishments

League Leaders: Runs (799), Hits (1,582), Doubles (294), Stolen Bases (69), Team Batting Average (.288), Slugging Percentage (.425)
League Leaders: Complete Games (78), Strikeouts (689), Double Plays (141)

Individual Accomplishments

Runs Hits Doubles Triples

3rd - Collins (116)

5th - Medwick (110)

3rd - Collins (200)

4th - Medwick (198)

T-4th - Medwick (40)

T-4th - Collins (40)

1st - Medwick (18)

4th - Collins (12)

Home Runs

Total Bases

RBI

Batting Average

T-1st - Collins (35)

1st - Collins (369)

4th - Medwick (328)

2nd- Collins (128)

4th - Medwick (106)

T-4th - Collins (.333)

Slugging Pct.

Stolen Bases Wins Winning Pct.

1st - Collins (.615)

5th - Medwick (.529)

1st - Martin (23)

1st - J. Dean (30)

1st - J. Dean (.811)

Games Complete Games Shutouts Saves
T-2nd - J. Dean (50) 2nd - J. Dean (24)

1st - J. Dean (7)

T-2nd - P. Dean (5)

T-2nd - J. Dean (7)
Innings Pitched Strikeouts Strikeouts / Game ERA
3rd - J. Dean (312)

1st - J. Dean (195)

3rd - P. Dean (150)

1st - P. Dean (5.79)

2nd - J. Dean (5.63

2nd - J. Dean (2.65)
Opponents B.A. Opponents O.B.A.

3rd - J. Dean (.241)

5th - P. Dean (.248)

3rd - J. Dean (.286)

4th - P. Dean (.290)

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World Series Opponent


Detroit Tigers

Manager:

Mickey Cochrane

 

World Series Lineup

1.

White, CF

2.

Cochrane, C

3.

Gehringer, 2B

4.

Greenberg, 1B

5.

Goslin, LF

6.

Rogell, SS

7.

Owen, 3B

8.

Fox, RF

9.

pitcher

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Game Summaries


Pitching brothers Paul and Dizzy Dean won seven games in ten days to give the Cardinals the pennant on the final day of the season. In the Series they continued their winning ways, chalking up all four Cardinal victories.

 

Game One

October 3 at Detroit (attendance: 42,505)

Cardinals Starter: Dizzy Dean (RHP), 30-7

Tigers Starter: General Crowder (RHP), 9-11

 
STL 0 2 1 0 1 4 0 0 0   8 13 2
DET 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0   3 8 5

Homeruns: Medwick - St. Louis; Greenberg - Detroit

WP: J. Dean (1-0)

LP: Crowder (0-1)

Cardinals lead Series 1-0

Highlights:

Given a 3-0 lead, thanks to five Tiger errors in the first three innings, he breezed to an 8-3 win.  Medwick added four hits.

 

Game Two

October 4 at Detroit (attendance: 43,451)

Cardinals Starter: Bill Hallahan (RHP), 8-12

Tigers Starter: Schoolboy Rowe (RHP), 24-8

 
STL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   2 7 3
DET 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1   3 7 0

Homeruns: none

WP: Rowe (1-0)

LP:  W. Walker (0-1)

Series tied 1-1

Highlights:

Detroit's Schoolboy Rowe brought the Tigers back with a pitching masterpiece in Game Two. After giving up single runs in the second and third innings, he allowed only one runner to reach base over the next nine as his Tigers tied the score in the ninth, and won it on two walks and a single in the twelfth.

 

Game Three

October 5 at Saint Louis (attendance: 34,073)

Tigers Starter:  Tommy Bridges (RHP), 19-9

Cardinals Starter: Paul Dean (RHP), 19-11

 
DET 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   1 8 2
STL 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 X   4 9 1

Homeruns: none

WP: P. Dean (1-0)

LP: Bridges (0-1)

Cardinals leads Series 2-1

Highlights:

Paul Dean nearly pitched a shutout, yielding a harmless run with two outs in the ninth after the Cards had built him a 4-0 lead.

 

Game Four

October 6 at Saint Louis (attendance: 37,492)

Tigers Starter: Eldon Auker (RHP), 15-7

Cardinals Starter: Tex Carleton (RHP), 16-11

 
DET 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 5 0   10 13 1
STL 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0   4 10 5

Homeruns: none

WP: Auker (1-0)

LP: W. Walker (0-2)

Series tied 2-2

Highlights:

Dizzy figured in a curious and painful play in Game Four. Pinch-running in the fourth inning (without Frisch's blessing), he was beaned by a would-be double-play throw as he ran to second. The tying run scored from third on the play, but Detroit's pitcher Eldon Auker shut out the Cards through the final five innings, and his teammates scored six more runs to bury St. Louis 10-4, evening the Series at two apiece. Diz was rushed to the hospital, but as no damage was found he started Game Five the next day.

 

Game Five

October 7 at Saint Louis (attendance: 38,536)

Tigers Starter: Tommy Bridges (RHP), 19-9

Cardinals Starter: Dizzy Dean (RHP), 30-7

 
DET 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0   3 7 0
STL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   1 7 1

Homeruns: Gehringer - Detroit; DeLancey - St. Louis

WP: Bridges (1-1)

LP: Dean (1-1)

Tigers lead the Series 3-2

Highlights:

Dizzy pitched well enough to win, but Detroit's Tommy Bridges pitched better, giving the Cardinals only one run to the Tigers' three.

 

Game Six

October 8 at Detroit (attendance: 44,551)

Cardinals Starter: Paul Dean (RHP), 19-11

Tigers Starter: Schoolboy Rowe (RHP), 24-8

 
STL 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0   4 10 2
DET 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0   3 7 1

Homeruns: none

WP: P. Dean (2-0)

LP: Rowe (1-1)

Series tied 3-3

Highlights:

Paul Dean evened the Series again with a win against Rowe in a closely contested sixth game.  A grounder through Dean's legs allowed the Tigers to tie the game in the sixth inning, but Paul redeemed his error in the seventh when he singled in the tie-breaking - and as it turned out, winning - run (what's this? a pitcher hitting in an A.L. ballpark?).  The normally light-hitting Leo Durocher added 3 hits for the Redbirds

 

Game Seven

October 9 at Detroit (attendance: 40,902)

Cardinals Starter: Dizzy Dean (RHP), 30-7

Detroit Starter: Eldon Auker (RHP), 15-7

 
STL 0 0 7 0 0 2 2 0 0   11 17 1
DET 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 6 3

Homeruns: none

WP: J. Dean (2-1)

LP: Auker (1-1)

Cardinals win the World Series 4-3

Highlights:

In the Game 7 laugher, does it really surprise you that, given the character of The Gashouse Gang, the Series ended with a resounding rumpus?  In the top of the 3rd, the Cards erupted for seven runs, casting a pall over the 40,000+ Tiger fans who had been hoping for Detroit's first world championship.

In the top of the sixth, Medwick tripled in another run, and when Joe slid into third the Tigers' Marv Owen thought it was with too much enthusiasm and he and Medwick squared off.  The combatants were quickly separated, but when Joe went out to take his left-field position in the bottom of the inning he found himself the target of the frustrated bleacher fans, who seemed to have been waiting to erupt.  They took dead aim at Joe with fruit, vegetables, soda pop bottles, and any other missile that would fly.  As soon as stadium personnel cleaned up one mess, another came flying out.

"I don't know where they were getting all that stuff from," Charlie Gehringer said.  "It was like they were backing produce trucks up to the gate and supplying everybody."

With the game unable to continue, Commissioner Landis summoned Medwick, Frisch, and the umpires to his box.  There a decision was made to remove Joe from the game "to protect the player from injury and permit the game to continue."  This action deprived the Cardinals of their top hitter, but with the score already 9-0 and Dizzy in top form, it made little difference.

Dizzy's prediction that "Me 'n Paul" would win two games apiece had been right on the money.  It was a foregone conclusion that Dizzy would win the World Series MVP Award, and he did, making him the second Cardinal in four years to be so honored.

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Series Composite Box Score


STL (N)

PLAYER- POS

AVG

G

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RB

BB

SO

SB

Tex Carleton, p

.000

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ripper Collins, 1b

.367

7

30

4

11

1

0

0

3

1

2

0

Pat Crawford, ph

.000

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Spud Davis, ph

1.000

2

2

0

2

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Dizzy Dean, p-3

.250

4

12

3

3

2

0

0

1

0

3

0

Paul Dean, p

.167

2

6

0

1

0

0

0

2

0

1

0

Bill De Lancey, c

.172

7

29

3

5

3

0

1

4

2

8

0

Leo Durocher, ss

.259

7

27

4

7

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

Frankie Frisch, 2b

.194

7

31

2

6

1

0

0

4

0

1

0

Chick Fullis, of

.400

3

5

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jesse Haines, p

.000

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Bill Hallahan, p

.000

1

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Pepper Martin, 3b

.355

7

31

8

11

3

1

0

4

3

3

2

Joe Medwick, of

.379

7

29

4

11

0

1

1

5

1

7

0

Jim Mooney, p

.000

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ernie Orsatti, of

.318

7

22

3

7

0

1

0

2

3

1

0

Jack Rothrock, of

.233

7

30

3

7

3

1

0

6

1

2

0

Dazzy Vance, p

.000

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Bill Walker, p

.000

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

Burgess Whitehead, ss

.000

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

TOTAL

.279

-

262

34

73

14

5

2

32

11

31

2

PITCHER

W

L

ERA

G

GS

CG

SV

SHO

IP

H

ER

BB

SO

Tex Carleton

0

0

7.36

2

1

0

0

0

3.2

5

3

2

2

Dizzy Dean

2

1

1.73

3

3

2

0

1

26.0

20

5

5

17

Paul Dean

2

0

1.00

2

2

2

0

0

18.0

15

2

7

11

Jesse Haines

0

0

0.00

1

0

0

0

0

0.2

1

0

0

2

Bill Hallahan

0

0

2.16

1

1

0

0

0

8.1

6

2

4

6

Jim Mooney

0

0

0.00

1

0

0

0

0

1.0

1

0

0

0

Dazzy Vance

0

0

0.00

1

0

0

0

0

1.1

2

0

1

3

Bill Walker

0

2

7.11

2

0

0

0

0

6.1

6

5

6

2

TOTAL

4

3

2.34

13

7

4

0

1

65.1

56

17

25

43


DET (A)

PLAYER- POS

AVG

G

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RB

BB

SO

SB

Eldon Auker, p

.000

2

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

Tommy Bridges, p

.143

3

7

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

4

0

Mickey Cochrane, c

.214

7

28

2

6

1

0

0

1

4

3

0

General Crowder, p

.000

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Frank Doljack, of-1

.000

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Pete Fox, of

.286

7

28

1

8

6

0

0

2

1

4

0

Charlie Gehringer, 2b

.379

7

29

5

11

1

0

1

2

3

0

1

Goose Goslin, of

.241

7

29

2

7

1

0

0

2

3

1

0

Hank Greenberg, 1b

.321

7

28

4

9

2

1

1

7

4

9

1

Ray Hayworth, c

.000

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Chief Hogsett, p

.000

3

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Firpo Marberry, p

.000

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Marv Owen, 3b

.069

7

29

0

2

0

0

0

1

0

5

1

Billy Rogell, ss

.276

7

29

3

8

1

0

0

4

1

4

1

Schoolboy Rowe, p

.000

3

7

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

0

Gee Walker, ph

.333

3

3

0

1

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

Jo-Jo White, of

.130

7

23

6

3

0

0

0

0

8

4

1

TOTAL

.224

-

250

23

56

12

1

2

20

25

43

5

PITCHER

W

L

ERA

G

GS

CG

SV

SHO

IP

H

ER

BB

SO

Eldon Auker

1

1

5.56

2

2

1

0

0

11.1

16

7

5

2

Tommy Bridges

1

1

3.63

3

2

1

0

0

17.1

21

7

1

12

General Crowder

0

1

1.50

2

1

0

0

0

6.0

6

1

1

2

Chief Hogsett

0

0

1.23

3

0

0

0

0

7.1

6

1

3

3

Firpo Marberry

0

0

21.60

2

0

0

0

0

1.2

5

4

1

0

Schoolboy Rowe

1

1

2.95

3

2

2

0

0

21.1

19

7

0

12

TOTAL

3

4

3.74

15

7

4

0

0

65.0

73

27

11

31


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Series MVP

Hillbilly Dizzy Dean was a man of many accomplishments and even more words, some of which actually were standard English. The National League's last 30-game winner and a card-carrying member of St. Louis's "Gas House Gang," Dean often made good on his outrageous boasts. As he put it, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." To some reporters he gave his actual name as Jay Hanna Dean; to others, Jerome Herman Dean. He also provided them with a "dizzying" choice of birthplaces and birthdays. When confronted with the inconsistencies, he explained, "I was helpin' these writers out. Them ain't lies; them's scoops."

Dean grew up poor, the son of a sharecropper. "The boys used to pick cotton for me at Purcell, Oklahoma," Dizzy's father recalled in 1934. "Jay used to scheme about how to make money from his great right arm and used to think a lot." According to the elder Dean, Dizzy's brother "Paul would pick as much as 500 pounds a day, but Jay never went over 400 pounds a day. And I was only able to pick about 200 pounds cuz I had to watch Jay."

On the local high school team, the 14-year-old Dizzy pitched in his bare feet. He never actually attended high school, however, having dropped out in the fourth grade. Dizzy enlisted in the Army at age 16 for $21 a month. He pitched well for an Army-camp team and practiced his control by hurling spuds during KP duty, but he soon tired of military life. Brother Paul bought Dizzy's way out of the service for $120, approximately one-fourth of his annual wages from picking cotton.

On May 29, 1929, Dizzy Dean was signed by Cardinals scout Don Curtis. He was offered no bonus. In 1930 Dean was assigned to last-place St. Joseph of the Class A Western League and compiled a 17-8 record. Promoted in midseason to Houston of the Texas League, Dean went 8-2 and earned a late season call-up to St. Louis. On the last day of the 1930 season he three-hit Pittsburgh in his major league debut.

Dean probably could have remained in the majors if the Cardinals hadn't had a strong pitching staff. But Dean was sent back to Houston. Once there he got on the phone to a rival Texas League manager, "Say this is Dizzy Dean. Yep, back in town and I can hear you gnashing your teeth, brother. Just thought I would call and tell you that I am gonna pitch against your ball club this afternoon and hold them to two or three hits."

He did indeed surrender just two hits. Dean led the Texas League with 26 victories, 303 strikeouts, and a 1.57 ERA in 1931. He returned to the Cardinals in 1932 and paced the National League in innings pitched, strikeouts, and shutouts.

In 1933 Dean won 20 games and again led the NL in strikeouts. In the first game of a July 30, 1933, doubleheader, Dean struck out 17 Chicago Cubs to set a now-broken modern major league record. That same year Paul Dean, soon to be christened "Daffy," was pitching in the Cardinal system at Columbus and leading the American Association with 197 strikeouts to post a 22-7 record.

In January 1934 Dizzy boldly predicted a NL championship for St. Louis. "How are they going to stop us?" Dean boasted. "Paul's going to be a sensation. He'll win 18 or 20 games. I'll count 20 to 25 for myself. I won 20 last season, and I know I'll pass that figure."

Pass it he did. In 1934 the Cardinals won the pennant and rookie Paul Dean contributed 18 wins. Dizzy went 30-7. But both pitchers could have won more. They each had missed two starts after being suspended for skipping an exhibition game in a salary dispute. Dizzy claimed that he, at $6,500 per year, and Paul, at $3,000, were underpaid. Hearing the news of his suspension, Dizzy literally tore up his uniform.

On September 21, 1934, the Dean brothers took the mound at Ebbets Field for a doubleheader against the Dodgers. In the first game Dizzy carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and beat Brooklyn, 13-0, settling for a three-hitter. In the nightcap Paul pitched a no-hitter, allowing only a first-inning walk. "If I'd a known what Paul was gonna do, I would have pitched one, too," Dizzy said.

The brothers were so overpowering that the Dodgers could only gawk in admiration. "If there is such as thing as getting a kick out of losing, I got it today," Brooklyn catcher Al Lopez said. "I think we were all up there with our mouths open in admiration of the stuff those two were throwing."

The Deans were even better in the postseason. As the Cardinals prepared for the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, Dizzy predicted, "Me and Paul'll win two games apiece."

That's exactly what happened. Dizzy won Games 1 and 7, pitching a six-hit shutout on one day's rest in the clincher. Paul won Game 3, singled in the tie-breaking run in Game 6, and went on to win that game, too.

During that World Series Dizzy also proved he could generate headlines simply by running the bases. Pinch-running for Virgil "Spud" Davis in Game 4, Dean went barreling into second base. As Billy Rogell relayed the ball to first, Dean forgot to duck. The ball caromed off his forehead and landed more than 100 feet away in right field.

"The blow that floored Dizzy would have knocked down two elephants," wrote beloved sportswriter and poet Grantland Rice. "The wonder is that the entire top of his head was not shot away at such close range." Dean was carried off the field and taken to a hospital. Later he proudly announced, "The doctors x-rayed my head and found nothing."

After his dazzling 1934 season Dean, of course, wanted more money. Brother Paul said, "I think all the other players on this club ought to volunteer to take a cut so's Diz can get the salary he wants."

Dizzy Dean's career began to unravel in July 1937. After being chosen to play in the All-Star Game, Dean didn't want to attend; he wanted to go fishing over the extended baseball holiday. His wife, however, insisted that he participate, arguing that he owed it to the game. Dean played, but in the third inning Earl Averill lined the ball off Dean's left little toe, fracturing it. "Fractured, hell! The damned thing's broken!" Dean said.

Two weeks after the incident Dean was pitching in Boston, he said, with "splints on my foot, and a shoe two sizes too big for me." To compensate, Dean placed all his weight on one foot. "Pain is stabbin' up through my hip," he said in describing the scene later. "Because of this, I change my natural style and don't follow through with my body on the delivery, so's I don't have to tromp down on my hurt foot·. As the ball left my hand, there was a loud crack in my shoulder, and my arm went numb down to my fingers." Despite the injury, a week and a half later Dean pitched 18 innings in an 8-6 victory over Cincinnati. It was his 13th and last win of the year and his last victory as a Cardinal.

During the off-season Branch Rickey traded Dean to the Cubs for three journeyman players and $185,000. "Jeez, $185,000·. If I'd a had a good arm wonder what I'd a brought," Dean joked.

Dean lasted with the Cubs as both a player and a coach until June 1941, when he started broadcasting Cardinals and Browns games for Falstaff beer. Dean's disregard for correct grammar caught the attention of the St. Louis Board of Education, which demanded that he be taken off the air. Dean stood his ground. "Let the teachers teach English, and I will teach baseball." As for his use of "ain't," he said, "There is a lot of people in the United States who say isn't, and they ain't eatin'." When another critic asked if he knew the King's English, he answered, "Yes sir, I do, and I know the Queen's English too." Aside from avoiding such nuisances as correct grammar and pronunciation, Dean also disdained statistical analysis, or "statics" as he put it. "I hate statics. What I know I keep in my haid," he explained. Despite being a fan of fellow hurler Satchel Paige, announcer Dean was not a true supporter of multicultural baseball. When the Cincinnati Reds loaded the bases with Ted Kluszewski on first, Bob Borkowski on second, and Fred Baczewski on third, Dean told listeners, "I was hopin' no one'd get a hit so I didn't have to pronounce them names."

When the next Cincinnati batter sent a drive in the direction of left-center, Dean announced, "There's a long drive, and here's Gene Kirby to tell you all about it." Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953, Dean informed his Cooperstown audience, "The good Lord was good to me. He gave me a strong body, a good right arm, and a weak mind."

Dean passed away in 1974 in Reno, Nevada.

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