Page 66 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2018

SPORTS & OUTDOORS swing batter batter
DEAN
story by A.J. Giardina photos by A.J. Giardina and courtesy of Dean Holleman and Old Firehouse Museum
Baseball Hall of Famer Remains a Legend
Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean died in 1974. For those who cherished his wit and charm, his memory lives on. Ole Diz spent
the final 16 years of his life in Stone County. Jay Hanna Dean was born on
January 16, 1910, in Lucas, Arkansas. When his family moved to Texas,
he was discovered by a scout who took a keen interest in his pitching
prowess. Dean soon picked up his nickname “Dizzy” thanks to practical jokes and a jovial
personality.
Twenty-year-old Dizzy Dean
made his Major League debut in 1930 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Dizzy and his brother, Paul, helped lead the
Cardinals to the 1934 World Series title. They accounted for
all four wins over the Detroit Tigers with two wins apiece.
Dean closed out his baseball career with 150 wins, 1,163 strikeouts and a
3.02 earned run average. The baseball world recognized Dizzy’s distinguished
career in 1953 with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He then began a
radio and television broadcasting career and his fame continued.
66 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • November 2018
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PAUL AND DIZZY DEAN, kissing the ball after the Cardinals’ victory in the 1934 World Series