Dean, Dizzy (1911-1974), was one of baseball’s greatest pitchers and most colorful personalities. He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs from 1932 to 1941. He won 30 games in 1934. He and his brother Paul (Daffy) each pitched two victories for St. Louis over the Detroit Tigers in the 1934 World Series.
Dean was born on Jan. 16, 1911, in Lucas, Arkansas. His real name was Jay Hanna Dean, but he also used the name of Jerome Herman Dean. He quit school after the second grade. He picked cotton until he was 16 years old. Dean became a professional baseball player in 1930. Dean developed a sore arm in 1937 and was traded from St. Louis to the Chicago Cubs in 1938. His arm never returned to normal, and early in the 1941 season he retired from baseball to become a sports announcer. Dean returned to baseball for one game in 1947.
As a radio and television sports announcer, Dean became famous for his quaint announcing style. He often used such expressions as “The runner slud into third,” and “He throwed the ball.” Dean was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. He died on July 17, 1974.
