THE DEANS

Dizzy Dean was full of promise when he made his debut for the Cardinals on September 28, 1930.  He beat the Pirates 3-1 on a three-hitter.  It would turn out to be the only appearence he would make for the Redbirds that year and he would not make his next appearence until 1932.  Dean  had a tendency towards immature behavior and he was so full of braggadocio that General Manager Branch Rickey and manager Gabby Street decided that another year in the minors would be good for him.  Dizzy would return  in 1932 and have an immediate impact, winning 18 games and 20 the next year.

In 1934, Dizzy would have his finest season.  He would win 30 games and lose only 7.  He would also post a 2.65 ERA, 24 Complete Games, and 195 K’s in 312 IP.  Not only  would he make 33 starts that season, but he would also appear in 17 games in relief with 7 Saves.

1934 would also be the year that Dizzy would be joined by another member of the family.  His younger brother, Paul immediately burst onto the scene.  The press, as a gimmick to go with his brother’s nickname, nicknamed him, “Daffy” – a nickname that, for the record, he did not like.  Before the season started, Dizzy boasted that “between us me and Paul will win 45-50 games.”  Guess what?   They did.  Dizzy won 30 (to date, the last National League pitcher to do so) and Paul won 19 for a total of 49.

On September 21, 1934 both Dizzy and Paul would pitch both ends of a doubleheader against the Dodgers in Brooklyn.  Dizzy would pitch a three hit 13-0 shutout in the first game.  However, in the second game Paul would turn in an even better performance by throwing a 3-0 no-hitter, which prompted Dizzy to say, “Shoot, if I’da known Paul was gonna pitch a no-hitter, I’da pitched one too.”

The Cardinals would cap off the 1934 Season by winning the World Series over the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 3.  The Deans would would be nothing short of brilliant in the series, winning two games each.  Dizzy even made a pinch running appearence in Game Four.  He forgot to slide as he was running into Second and he caught Shortstop Billy Rogell’s throw right in the head.  After the game, he was taken to the hospital and he later quipped, “They X-Rayed my head and found nuthin’.” 

While Dizzy was known for being very outgoing, Paul was known for being very quiet.  Dizzy also liked to coin colorful quotes.  Among them were:

“Son, what kind of pitch would you like to miss?”

“It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.”

“I’m gald the Good Lord gave me a strong arm and a weak mind.”

“Let the teachers teach English.  I’ll teach baseball.  There’s a lot of people in the United States sayin’, ‘isn’t', and they ain’t eatin’.”

“Shoot, if we’da had them boys (Satchel Paige, Josn Gibson, and Buck Leonard), we coulda clinched the pennant by the Fourth of July and then taken the rest of the season off and gone ahead on and gone fishin’.”

“Heck, if anybody told me I was settin’ a record, I’da got me some more strikeouts.”

“I ain’t what I used to be, but who the heck is.”

On August 9, 1934, The Cardinals would sign a third Dean, Dizzy and Paul’s older brother Elmer (nicknamed “Goober”) as a…..peanut vendor!