 Born in Lucas, Arkansas, on January 16,
1910, Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean had outstanding careers as both a
Major League pitcher and sportscaster. Dean made his Major League
debut with the St Louis Cardinals in 1930, and during his seven
years with the team lead the National League in complete games and
strikeouts four times. In 1934, he lead the Cardinals to the World
Series with a regular season record of 30-7, and then won two games
in the World Series to help them clinch the title. Dean left the
Cardinals in 1938 to play for the Chicago Cubs; however, a shoulder
injury obtained during the 1937 season had robbed him of his fast
ball and he retired in 1941. After his playing career, Dean became
a well known sportscaster on both radio and television. He
announced games for the Cardinals from 1941-1946, the St Louis
Browns from 1941-1948, the New York Yankees from 1949-1951, ABC
from 1953-1954, and CBS from 1955-1965. As an announcer he was
famous for his wit and "colorful butchering" of the English
language, which endeared him to fans. Dean died in 1974. He was
inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of
Fame on June 15, 1976. |