Looking Back: Dizzy Dean Sings in Sulphur Dell

On August 28, 1947, the third annual Gilbert League All-Star game was played at Sulphur Dell, the home of the Nashville Vols. The amateur league for youths (16-18) was named for Vols' manager Larry Gilbert. The game was played at 8:00 before 7, 000 fans. The Sealtest club defeated the Gilbert League All-Stars, 18-4.
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean, who retired from baseball as a player just six years earlier, did the play-by-play as the public address announcer for all in the ballpark to hear. Dean had been a radio broadcaster since retiring. A friend that worked for the Falstaff Brewing Corporation invited Dean to Nashville.
Nashville Banner sports writer Fred Russell wrote in part:
"And there's special gratitude to Dizzy Dean for his personal appearance and his tour to different parts of the city yesterday. As for his grammar, before the game announced to the crowd that Will Rogers' philosophy was good enough for him-"A lot of people who ain't saying ain't ain't eating."
"During a lagging moment of the ball game, on the microphone Diz suddenly broke into song, doing a full chorus of "Wabash Cannonball." He's unpredictable, (Incidentally, Diz is a great friend and admirer of Eddy Arnold, Red Foley and Roy Acuff.) The finest thing about Dean is that he's so accommodating, so gracious, so willing to give his time and efforts to any worthy project. He's a valuable ambassador for baseball.
"Dean wowed the Vols Larry Gilbert and the junior league team sponsors and managers with revelations of his career with the Cardinals, particularly his salary squabbles with Sam Breadon and Brach Rickey.
"'When me and Paul struck that time in Pittsburgh, and stayed out of uniform for three days, it was because I was trying to get Paul a $3,000 raise.' Diz related. "Of course, I got $1,500 of it. When Mr. Rickey and Frank Frisch got us satisfied they asked if everything was all right, if there was anything else we wanted. Well, I looked around their hotel suite and remarked that it certainly was bigger and nicer than the room we had and you know-no foolin-we wound up moving right into that suite, too.'"
Though Dean had been retired from baseball since 1941, he was still a broadcaster for the St. Louis Browns. One month after his appearance in Nashville, Dean made a one-game comeback on September 28. Dean had been frustrated with the Browns pitching and proclaimed on the air, "Doggone it, I can pitch better than nine out of the 10 guys on this staff."
The Browns attendance was low and the team's management decided as a publicity stunt to sell tickets, for Dean to pitch the final game of the season. He was 37 years old. Dean pitched four innings, gave up three hits, one walk, no strikeouts and no runs. He did collect one base hit in his only appearance at the plate. As he was rounding first base, Dean pulled a hamstring and left the game.
The Lucas, Arkansas-born Dean returned to the broadcast booth after the game and said, "I said I could pitch better than nine out of 10 guys on this staff, and I can. But I'm done. Talking's my game now, and I'm just glad that the muscle I pulled wasn't in my throat."
The right-hander pitched 12 years in the major leagues with the Cardinals (1930, 1932-37), Cubs (1938-41) and one game for the St. Louis Browns (1947). Dean's career record was 150-83 with a 3.02 ERA. He recorded 1,163 strikeouts in 1,967.1 innings in 376 games. Dean's brother, Paul, also pitched for the Cardinals (1934-39)
While pitching in the 1937 All-Star game, Dean was hit on his foot by a line drive by Cleveland batter Earl Averill that broke his toe. Dean returned to pitching too soon and changed his pitching motion eventually hurting his arm. He never pitched the same afterwards. Dean lost his fastball and dazzling curveball, but developed a changeup and a slow curve for some success. He finished his career with the Cubs and a 16-8 record in 44 games.
Dean was a four-time All-Star, National League MVP (1934) and part of the Cardinals 1934 World Champions team. The Cardinals retired his No. 17 jersey and Dean was selected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. Dean accomplished a lot pitching in just six full seasons in the majors.
When Dean's playing career was over, he became a broadcaster for the Cardinals (1941-46), Browns (1947-48) Yankees (1950-51) and the Atlanta Braves (1966-68). Dean became a national broadcaster with Mutual (1952), ABC (1953-54) and CBS (1955-65). He became famous for his wit and colorful butchering of the English language. "Said Dean, "The Good Lord was good to me. He gave me a strong right arm, a good body, and a weak mind."
Once Dean witnessed St. Louis Brown's outfielder Al Zarilla side into a base. "Dean announced, "Zarilla slud into third. "Slud" was the word he often replaced for "slid." Dean also like to used the expression, "He shouldn't hadn't "ought-a swang" at that pitch" after a strikeout.
During a game he was broadcasting on CBS, Dean said on an open microphone, "I don't know why they call this the "Game of the Week," there's a much better game, Dodgers and Giants over on NBC. Dean could be heard singing quite often "Wabash Cannonball" during rain delays.
An English teacher, as would today, complained to Dean in a letter that he shouldn't use the word "ain't" over the radio. Dean responded on the air, "A lot of folks who ain't sayin' ain't, ain't eatin'. So, Teach, you learn 'em English, and I'll learn 'em baseball.
Dean died in Reno, Nevada on July 17, 1974 at age 64.
Traughber's Tidbit: It was 10 years ago (June 23, 2008) that the Nashville Sounds played a game without any fans in attendance. The game played in Des Moines, Iowa against the Iowa Cubs was originally postponed because of severe flooding in the city by torrential rains. Des Moines city officials did not want people downtown so postponing the game was obvious. An agreement was reached that the game be played under the condition that no fans allowed in the ballpark.
Only two scouts watched the game from behind home plate as Cubs officials retrieved foul balls. There was no introduction music for each home batter or any public address announcer. The large video scoreboard was turned off, and a handheld scoreboard was used instead. The only noises were the crack of the bat and the voices of the umpires and players. It was reported that the game started three hours earlier (4 o'clock) than normal so the stadium lights would not attract fans to the ballpark.
It had been announced that the game had been postponed and the Cubs office telephones also announced in a recording that the game was postponed. Media personnel were allowed to cover the fanless game. The Cubs defeated the Sounds, 5-4.
If you have any comments or suggestions, contact Bill Traughber via email [email protected].