Dizzy Dean's last Fall Classic start was not with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had one last start with the Chicago Cubs in 1938. For a while, he looked like the Dean of old. And it was against the Yankees, no less. Then reality set in.
Diz, one of baseball's finest pitchers of the 1930s, was hurt in the 1937 All-Star game. From here, he just wasn't the same old Dizzy. His finished that season with a record of only 13-10. Traded to Chicago, he went only 7-1. But that was in only 13 games (10 starts). Plus, Diz posted an ERA of 1.81. The Cubs needed him, as it turns out. They won the pennant in dramatic fashion against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dean was on his way to another Fall Classic, and the Cubs were looking for their first win since 1908. Thirty years!
The Yankees looked too strong. In game one, it was the Bronx Bombers that came out on top, 3-1. But, although a close game, New York had 12 hits. Chicago was going to have to find a way to stop their big bats. So they sent Dizzy to the hill in game two.
Although 28, Dean was something of a veteran at this point. The Cubs were no doubt hoping that would give them some sort of an edge in the second tilt. And through seven innings, Dizzy Dean sure did!
The Cubs, at home, got a run in the bottom of the first. Stan Hack, one of the best leadoff hitters of his time, got it all going with a single off Yankee starter Lefty Gomez. Following a strikeout and another single, the swift Hack was on third with less than two outs. Joe Marty got 'em home with a sac fly.
The Yankees were quick to come back, however. Joe DiMaggio led off the top of the second with a single. When Lou Gehrig walked, reality was setting in, soon enough. Dizzy had never seen such an offensive arsenal before.
He settled down and got the next two batters out. But when Joe Gordon hit a double, the two Hall Of Famers crossed home. Just like that, New York was ahead, 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Cubs went on the attack again. And once again, it was Stan Hack that ignited the offence. Leading off with a single, he was sending a message that Chicago also had some big guns!
Billy Herman followed with a single of his own to send Hack to second. A sac bunt moved both runners over. Joe Marty was back at the dish. As he had in the bottom of the first, Joe got Hack home. But this time, he got a double, meaning that Herman also crossed the plate. It was 3-2, Chicago. The Cubs even got another runner on before Gomez got out of there. But Dizzy was rolling back the clock on this day. Back to the glory days of him with the St. Louis Cardinals.
A Gehrig single in the top of the fourth was erased by a double-play. Dizzy Dean then got New York 1-2-3 in the next inning. Gomez also held on though, and the score did not change.
Dean had another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, but Gomez allowed only one Cub to reach via an error. In the top of the seventh, Dizzy got DiMaggio, Gehrig and Bill Dickey out in order. Three Hall Of Famers retired by a Hall Of Famer!
Dean himself then got into the act on offence. He led off the bottom of the frame with a single. Hack swung and missed for strike three this time. Billy Herman looked at strike three. Dean was then picked off first, ending the inning.
In the top of the eighth, George Selkirk, the Canadian, singled. Gordon forced George at second, so Dean and his mates were five outs away from leveling the 1938 Fall Classic. Pinch hitter Myril Hoag was sent to the dish to bat for Gomez. Dizzy Dean got him to force Gordon at second. Dean seemed safe.
But Frank Crosetti, the Crow, launched a home run to left. Just like that, the Bronx Bombers had the lead again for the first time since top of the second, 4-3. New York would not look back, this time.
Johnny Murphy, the Yankees relief ace, retired Chicago in order in the bottom of the inning.
The top of the ninth saw Tommy Henrich lead off with a single. DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper himself, ended Dean's day with a home run of his own to make it 6-3. Larry French took over for Dean and got Chicago out of there. The Cubs actually put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth. Stan Hack, always dangerous and representing the tying run, lined out to end it.
Dean had his last World Series start go into the record book as having allowed six earned runs in only eight innings pitched. A tough way to lose, nonetheless, as he and the Cubs were so close!
It's always fun to see someone recapture his old glory. Just last week, I saw Roger Federer, the great tennis player, get his greatness back and come so close to another huge win. But it was not to be.
Dean was sort of in the same boat here. Up against his toughest challenge yet in the Fall Classic, and past his prime, he sure had the Yankees going through 7 2/3 innings. Dizzy may have been eccentric, arrogant, and many other things. But one thing Dizzy Dean was, above all else, was a character. Being with the Cubs that year must have made them think they were going to win the pennant, from day one. And having Dizzy there in October must have convinced them that the mighty Yankees could be brought down. Yeah, it may have been all a bluff on the Cubs' and Dizzy's part. But what a bluff it was!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Jan 11, 2014.
Diz, one of baseball's finest pitchers of the 1930s, was hurt in the 1937 All-Star game. From here, he just wasn't the same old Dizzy. His finished that season with a record of only 13-10. Traded to Chicago, he went only 7-1. But that was in only 13 games (10 starts). Plus, Diz posted an ERA of 1.81. The Cubs needed him, as it turns out. They won the pennant in dramatic fashion against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dean was on his way to another Fall Classic, and the Cubs were looking for their first win since 1908. Thirty years!
The Yankees looked too strong. In game one, it was the Bronx Bombers that came out on top, 3-1. But, although a close game, New York had 12 hits. Chicago was going to have to find a way to stop their big bats. So they sent Dizzy to the hill in game two.
Although 28, Dean was something of a veteran at this point. The Cubs were no doubt hoping that would give them some sort of an edge in the second tilt. And through seven innings, Dizzy Dean sure did!
The Cubs, at home, got a run in the bottom of the first. Stan Hack, one of the best leadoff hitters of his time, got it all going with a single off Yankee starter Lefty Gomez. Following a strikeout and another single, the swift Hack was on third with less than two outs. Joe Marty got 'em home with a sac fly.
The Yankees were quick to come back, however. Joe DiMaggio led off the top of the second with a single. When Lou Gehrig walked, reality was setting in, soon enough. Dizzy had never seen such an offensive arsenal before.
He settled down and got the next two batters out. But when Joe Gordon hit a double, the two Hall Of Famers crossed home. Just like that, New York was ahead, 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Cubs went on the attack again. And once again, it was Stan Hack that ignited the offence. Leading off with a single, he was sending a message that Chicago also had some big guns!
Billy Herman followed with a single of his own to send Hack to second. A sac bunt moved both runners over. Joe Marty was back at the dish. As he had in the bottom of the first, Joe got Hack home. But this time, he got a double, meaning that Herman also crossed the plate. It was 3-2, Chicago. The Cubs even got another runner on before Gomez got out of there. But Dizzy was rolling back the clock on this day. Back to the glory days of him with the St. Louis Cardinals.
A Gehrig single in the top of the fourth was erased by a double-play. Dizzy Dean then got New York 1-2-3 in the next inning. Gomez also held on though, and the score did not change.
Dean had another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, but Gomez allowed only one Cub to reach via an error. In the top of the seventh, Dizzy got DiMaggio, Gehrig and Bill Dickey out in order. Three Hall Of Famers retired by a Hall Of Famer!
Dean himself then got into the act on offence. He led off the bottom of the frame with a single. Hack swung and missed for strike three this time. Billy Herman looked at strike three. Dean was then picked off first, ending the inning.
In the top of the eighth, George Selkirk, the Canadian, singled. Gordon forced George at second, so Dean and his mates were five outs away from leveling the 1938 Fall Classic. Pinch hitter Myril Hoag was sent to the dish to bat for Gomez. Dizzy Dean got him to force Gordon at second. Dean seemed safe.
But Frank Crosetti, the Crow, launched a home run to left. Just like that, the Bronx Bombers had the lead again for the first time since top of the second, 4-3. New York would not look back, this time.
Johnny Murphy, the Yankees relief ace, retired Chicago in order in the bottom of the inning.
The top of the ninth saw Tommy Henrich lead off with a single. DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper himself, ended Dean's day with a home run of his own to make it 6-3. Larry French took over for Dean and got Chicago out of there. The Cubs actually put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth. Stan Hack, always dangerous and representing the tying run, lined out to end it.
Dean had his last World Series start go into the record book as having allowed six earned runs in only eight innings pitched. A tough way to lose, nonetheless, as he and the Cubs were so close!
It's always fun to see someone recapture his old glory. Just last week, I saw Roger Federer, the great tennis player, get his greatness back and come so close to another huge win. But it was not to be.
Dean was sort of in the same boat here. Up against his toughest challenge yet in the Fall Classic, and past his prime, he sure had the Yankees going through 7 2/3 innings. Dizzy may have been eccentric, arrogant, and many other things. But one thing Dizzy Dean was, above all else, was a character. Being with the Cubs that year must have made them think they were going to win the pennant, from day one. And having Dizzy there in October must have convinced them that the mighty Yankees could be brought down. Yeah, it may have been all a bluff on the Cubs' and Dizzy's part. But what a bluff it was!
References
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Whiteford, Mike, and Taylor Jones. How To Talk Baseball. Revised ed. New York: Dembner, 1987. Print. pp. 47-50
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Jan 11, 2014.
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