Dizzy Dean, baseball player, 1930-1947

Dizzy Dean

⭐ Hall of Fame 1953

Born: 1/16/1910 in Lucas, AR, USA

Died: 7/17/1974 in Reno, NV, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-09-28 | Final Game: 1947-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 182 lbs

Full name: Jay Hanna Dean

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Biography

Dizzy Dean, born in 1910, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1930 until his retirement in 1947. Known for his charismatic personality and formidable fastball, Dean became a key figure in the National League during the 1930s. He finished his career with a record of 150 wins and 83 losses, boasting an impressive earned run average of 3.02. Over his tenure, he recorded 1,163 strikeouts and achieved 30 saves, demonstrating his ability to be both a starter and a reliable relief option. His contributions to the game were recognized through four All-Star selections and he was honored with the TSN Guide MVP award, highlighting his impact during a competitive era in baseball. Dean's career was marked by his role in the St. Louis Cardinals' success, particularly during their 1934 World Series championship run. He was known for his unorthodox pitching style and fierce competitiveness, which endeared him to fans and made him a significant figure in baseball history. In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Dean was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953, solidifying his legacy as one of the great pitchers of his time. His influence extended beyond the diamond, as he later became a beloved broadcaster, further endearing him to generations of baseball enthusiasts.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
35.0 35.0 3.0 7.0 2.0 0 0 3.0 0 3.0 1.0 0.200 0.200 0.257 0.457

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
9.0 0 0 13.0 2.0 0 0 0.0 52.0 20.0 5.0 2.0 0 0 0.80

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1933 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1934 10.0 10.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 1.0 0 1.0 0 0.200 0.200 0.300 0.500
1935 19.0 19.0 1.0 2.0 0 0 0 2.0 0 1.0 0 0.105 0.105 0.105 0.210
1942 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1943 4.0 4.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0.750 0.750 1.000 1.750

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1933 2.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 1.50
1934 1.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 9.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1935 4.0 0 0 5.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 26.0 8.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.67
1942 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 9.00
1943 1.0 0 0 3.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 11.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
150 83 317 230 154 26 30 1967.3 1919 661 95 453 1163 3.02 0

Career ERA 3.02 vs. league average 4.26 across their career seasons — 29.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1930 STL NL 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 3 1 3 5 1.00 4.80 (+79%) -
1932 STL NL 18 15 46 33 16 4 2 286.0 280 105 102 191 3.30 4.13 (+20%) -
1933 STL NL 20 18 48 34 26 3 4 293.0 279 99 64 199 3.04 3.86 (+21%) -
1934 STL NL 30 7 50 33 24 7 7 311.7 288 92 75 195 2.66 4.29 (+38%) -
1935 STL NL 28 12 50 36 29 3 5 325.3 324 110 77 190 3.04 4.35 (+30%) -
1936 STL NL 24 13 51 34 28 2 11 315.0 310 111 53 195 3.17 4.59 (+31%) -
1937 STL NL 13 10 27 25 17 4 1 197.3 200 59 33 120 2.69 4.34 (+38%) -
1938 CHC NL 7 1 13 10 3 1 0 74.7 63 15 8 22 1.81 4.35 (+58%) -
1939 CHC NL 6 4 19 13 7 2 0 96.3 98 36 17 27 3.36 4.28 (+22%) -
1940 CHC NL 3 3 10 9 3 0 0 54.0 68 31 20 18 5.17 4.21 (-23%) -
1941 CHC NL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1.0 3 2 0 1 18.00 — -
1947 SLA AL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4.0 3 0 1 0 0.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
325 717 76 161 23 4 8 76 5 9 104 0.225 0.235 0.301 0.536 -2956.1

Career AVG .225 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 18.3% below league average.

Career OBP .235 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 30.9% below league average.

Career SLG .301 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 23.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.536 vs. league average 0.734 across their career seasons — 26.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1930 STL NL 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1932 STL NL 47 97 10 25 5 0 2 12 0 0 10 0.258 .275 (-6%) .335 (-23%) .391 (-5%) .726 (-13%) -258.3
1933 STL NL 51 105 8 19 2 2 1 12 1 3 14 0.181 .270 (-33%) .329 (-38%) .377 (-29%) .707 (-33%) -634.4
1934 STL NL 51 118 15 29 3 1 2 9 1 1 15 0.246 .278 (-12%) .340 (-26%) .392 (-14%) .733 (-19%) -438.6
1935 STL NL 53 128 18 30 4 0 2 21 2 1 16 0.234 .279 (-16%) .342 (-28%) .399 (-22%) .742 (-25%) -590.0
1936 STL NL 51 121 7 27 6 1 0 15 0 0 27 0.223 .283 (-21%) .349 (-36%) .404 (-28%) .753 (-32%) -739.4
1937 STL NL 27 66 8 15 1 0 1 5 0 3 11 0.227 .276 (-18%) .342 (-24%) .398 (-28%) .740 (-26%) -295.4
1938 CHC NL 13 26 3 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.192 — — — — 0.0
1939 CHC NL 19 34 4 5 1 0 0 1 1 1 7 0.147 — — — — 0.0
1940 CHC NL 10 18 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.222 — — — — 0.0
1941 CHC NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1947 SLA AL 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 15 3 5 2 0 0 1 0 3 0.333

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1938 WS CHN 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.667
1934 WS SLN 4 12 3 3 2 0 0 1 0 3 0.250

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 2 5 4 0 34.3 28 11 6 19 2.88

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1938 WS CHN 0 1 2 1 0 8.3 8 6 1 2 6.48
1934 WS SLN 2 1 3 3 0 26.0 20 5 5 17 1.73

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 317 0 76 283 15 15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 SLN P 1 0 1 4 0 0
1932 SLN P 46 0 9 46 3 7
1933 SLN P 48 0 9 35 5 1
1934 SLN P 50 0 18 46 2 1
1935 SLN P 50 0 13 42 2 0
1936 SLN P 51 0 10 44 1 3
1937 SLN P 27 0 4 24 1 3
1938 CHN P 13 0 2 11 0 0
1939 CHN P 19 0 5 16 0 0
1940 CHN P 10 0 5 15 1 0
1941 CHN P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1947 SLA P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 317

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1936 TSN All-Star P
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1935 TSN All-Star P
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1934 Most Valuable Player
1934 TSN All-Star P
1934 TSN Guide MVP
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1936 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 53.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 66.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 78.0 80 6
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 23.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 4.0 80 0