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Dizzy Dean, brought to you by the makers of Johnson's Wax for car news.
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My goodness, Frank, do you mean I'm going to be on NBC Air a Saturday afternoon to talk about baseball?
That's right, Diz, and I'm going to tell the folks about Johnson's car news, auto polish that really...
Let's get going, let's get going. Boy, I'll tell you a story that I'll never forget about Charlie Grimm.
Well, now just a minute, Diz.
Do you have another one about Frankie Freese? I'd like to tell that story.
Well, just a second, now...
Let me tell you something about Lefty Gomez, the New York Yankees.
Well, okay, go ahead. You've got me going.
Well, Frank, Lefty Gomez was pitching a ball game against Bobby Feller in 1936,
and in the seventh inning the Yankees were leading 2-1. They had 65,000 people in the grandstands.
And the Yankees, naturally, being out in front, they start stalling for time, trying to get it to get darker,
and they could win the ball game 2-1.
And summers behind the plate, the umpire says, come on, let's play ball. I'll call the game when I think it's too dark.
So Gomez, being the next batter, he's reached over to Joe McCarthy, the manager of the Yankees, and says,
give me a match. I'll fix that umpire. So he took a match in the bat and walked up to the plate.
And he struck the match as he walked into the batter's box, and boy, I mean the summers.
The umpire summers really like to blue his top. He stepped out from out of the plate, and he says, Lefty says,
don't show me up in front of all these 65,000 people. He says, you can see that ball. And he says, I can see it.
He says, don't try to stall like that. Gomez stepped out of the batter's box and he says, Mr. Sommers, I tell you,
I can see the ball all right, he says, but I want to be doggone sure a feller can see me.
Okay, it is. That's well. But I'd like to tell one more.
Well, now, just a minute. Hold it if you will, please. We've got to go through a little warm-up on this first program
before you start pitching him so fast. Folks, this is Frank Eschen.
I want to tell you a little more about this program, what you can expect each Saturday.
You see, I've known Dizzy Dean for years. I've seen him pitch some of his great games.
I've worked with him here in St. Louis, where he made his name with the great St. Louis Cardinals.
Every Saturday afternoon, Dizzy Dean will bring back to life immortals of the diamond in his anecdotes of his baseball career.
He'll answer questions from the mailbag, telling of colorful incidents in baseball in which he has played such a rich part.
He'll have advice for the young Americans who want to become big leaguers,
and Dizzy really knows what it takes to make the big league great.
Boys who play in church leagues, municipal leagues, or small town sandlots will be interested deeply in counsel from the colorful Dizzy Dean.
Dizzy will take the two leagues apart and put them back together again in his inimitable way as the pennant races progress.
There'll be hot off the wire news. There'll be stories about the heroes who are making the baseball news.
And by the way, Dizzy, do you think you'll have any trouble talking 15 minutes every Saturday?
Frank, if somebody don't stop me, I'll be talking an hour and 15 minutes.
You know, Frank, I'm something of a veteran in this area of broadcasting business.
You're almost a 10-year man, eh?
That's right, Frank. I've done the Cardinals and Browns, and right now I'm broadcasting flavor play on the Browners in St. Louis.
And brother, I'm glad they've changed the rules since I started this broadcasting business.
Well, what do you mean, Dizzy? Change the rules?
Well, maybe, Frank, I should say I'm glad there ain't no wartime rules to worry about no more.
You know, when the war was on, I was a little new on the job, and the rules were strict.
There was a game in St. Louis, and rain began to fall during the game.
And you know how it was during the war? You couldn't say nothing about the weather in St. Louis.
Farfair, it might change the military situation at Ashen or Iwo Jima.
Go ahead, that's all right.
But there was a long interruption this day, and my partner, Johnny O'Hara, finally got tired of talking and says,
Diz, here's the mic. It's all yours.
Well, I talked as long as I could about what a close game it was and how maybe play would resume pretty soon.
And then finally I says, folks, I can't tell you why this game's been held up, but if you just stick your head out the window, you can soon find out.
Diz, you always did have a reputation for getting yourself out of a tight spot.
Right now I'm going to put you on the spot.
What's next, Frank?
Well, we've got the mailbag. You know, when folks heard that you were going to do this program for Johnson's Carnu, the mail started pouring in.
That gave us an idea. Every week we're going to answer some of those letters from the mailbag, and here's your first request.
Al Brennan of Chicago wants to know what game you look on as the biggest in your whole baseball career.
Well, Frank, I certainly appreciate that letter, and there's a lot of games I can look upon as big games.
I got a lot of thrills in the game of baseball, but the greatest thrill I ever got was in 1934 against the Detroit Tigers.
We won the pennant that year for the Cardinals and went into the series, the underdog, to defeat the Tigers.
Well, they had fellows like Gerringer Greenberg on the ball club, and when we got through with them, you know what I call them, the pussycats, not the Tigers.
And I think that was the greatest thrill I ever got due to the fact it was the seventh and final game of the series to see who was going to be the champions of the world.
And I was fortunate enough to pitch that ball game and beat Detroit 11 to nothing, winning the championship.
Then the saddest game I believe I ever lost and the toughest game I ever lost, Frank, was about three or four years later.
I hurt my arm in between 34 and 38, and I was sold to the Chicago Cubs for $185,000 and four ball players and with my sore arm.
I was just thinking if I'd had a good arm, I wonder what I'd have brought.
No telling, Biz, no telling.
Well, anyway, I was over there, and we won the pennant that year, and I was pitching the second game against the New York Yankees.
And in the eighth inning, I had them beat three to two, and Kross said he came up the plate and hit a three and two pitch into the left field seats for a home run and beat me four to three.
Well, I didn't have a thing on the ball, and it was a lot of difference throwing that nothing ball up there in 38, and it was that far ball in 34.
And I was taken out of the ball game, and Gabby Hart was our manager that year, and I went over to the dugout and I really felt sad, Frank.
And the fans in the Chicago ballpark, something like 45,000 people, stood up and cheered as I left the mound, and when I started going to the dugout, you could hear the pin drop.
I finally went in the dugout, in the clubhouse, and the fellow I saw up there first was a grand old man of baseball, Connie Mack.
He put his arms around my shoulder, and I sort of felt a little better.
He says, Son, he says you pitched a great ball game out there with what you had on the ball.
He says, at one game, I'd like to see you won, although it was against our American League club.
It is everybody was pulling for you in that game.
Well, in between those great games, you had the reputation of being something of a problem child.
I know, for example, that you gave Frankie Frisch some very anxious moments.
Oh, I guess me and Paul was famous for that, all right.
Speaking of Frankie Frisch, it reminds me of that time when he was giving us pitchers a few instructs in the clubhouse before a game in Brooklyn.
In fact, it was a doubleheader in Brooklyn, Frank.
And Frankie was one of the greatest second baseman in the game, you know.
Well, he was talking there telling me how to pitch to Tony Cuccinelli and Linus Fry and Sam Leslie and Ralph Ball and all the other Dodgers.
And I gave him an argument on every one.
Finally, I said, let's stop this silly business, Frank.
Don't you think it's kind of silly for ordinary second baseman like you to be telling a great pitcher like me how to pitch to anybody?
Well, Frank almost had a stroke.
He told us to go out and pitch the way we wanted.
He didn't care if we did get our ears pinned back.
And the rest of the story is that I pitched a three-hitter that afternoon.
Nobody gets a hit off me till the eighth inning with one or two out.
And then my brother Paul goes out and pitches a no-hitter.
That was in that second game, and that was a lot of pitching that day, Diz.
Yes, Frank, that story makes me think it's about time for me to give a little advice to them high school and San La pitches all over the country.
Ain't it, Frank?
Well, before you do that, it's my turn, Diz.
I have a little advice to give.
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How about that, Mr. Dean?
Frank, you certainly said a mouthful, brother.
And speaking of mouthfuls, you're going to have to unload a mouthful of advice to young pitchers.
Okay, Frank.
Boys, this part of our program is specific for the boys.
But I want fathers and big brothers to listen, too.
It's a little advice to boys who want to be pitchers and who hope someday to reach the major leagues.
The reason I want the fathers and brothers to listen is so they can help the boys pitch or remember what I'm telling them.
You know, when I was a boy, Frank, I didn't have the chances that the young boys today have gotten.
And when I broke in to baseball, we didn't have a lot of baseball parks all over the country.
We didn't have big league.
I didn't have big league pitchers and players to tell me what to do and how to take care of myself.
And I just like to say to the young boys that's breaking in today is don't throw too much.
In other words, don't pitch too much.
Do a lot of running.
Keep your legs in shape.
And always get three to four days rest.
In other words, just rest after you pitch a ball game and then do a lot of running in the outfield.
Well, some of those star kid pitchers like to pitch every day, and that's bad, isn't it?
Yes, a lot of young pitchers, it's a star on a ball sub.
The other boys come around and pat him on the back and says,
Johnny, you've got to pitch for us tomorrow.
After pitching today, you've got to pitch the next day.
They want their best pitcher to pitch because them kids are all left to win, which is a very, very good thing.
And another thing for the young pitchers is to never throw curves.
Now, I'm talking about boys from 9 to 15 years old.
Don't start throwing curves at young because the curve balls will come later.
And it's not hard to throw a curve ball when your arm is strong and it's developed.
Just take the ball and throw nothing strictly but fast balls and work on control.
And as I said a minute ago, the curves will come when you develop ready for the big leagues.
And the third is warming up properly.
When you're out there on the mound starting a ball game, you must have 15 minutes of warming up before starting.
You walk out there and start lobbing the ball to the catcher easily,
gradually increasing the speed of the throw as the 15 minutes goes by.
And then the last three or four pitches you must grab back and throw the ball and you know you're in shape then,
you're loosened up, and then you can go out and pitch your regular turn.
And that way you'll never hurt yourself.
Well, it is in order to sum up for these young pitchers, suppose we do it this way.
Number one, don't pitch too often.
Get plenty of rest between games.
Don't start throwing those curves too soon.
And in the third place, warm up properly before you pitch any game.
And next week you'll have some fine advice for young catchers.
Right now, Diz, what does the big league show look like to you today?
Well, Frank, I've been asked that question all over the country in the last couple of months.
And right now I want to say that the moment Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians,
who pitched a no-hitter Wednesday night, is the hottest thing in the American league, in fact, in either league.
But I want to say don't get discouraged because you ain't having no luck.
Bob Lemon started out as a third baseman.
He fumbled grounders and couldn't hit.
They tried him in the outfield, but they were scared he'd get hit on the head.
That was just two years ago.
And now Bob Lemon is top man on the pitching staff.
It includes none other than Bobby Fowler himself.
The Indians in athletics is hanging on to the top spot in the American league right now.
But watch the Yankees in red socks.
They're moving up, folks.
And I figure they'll be fighting for first place after it gets good and hot.
But what a year.
Whoever figured the athletics on the 3rd of July would have won more than any other club in the league.
They won 42 ballgames more than any other club in either league.
The dogfight goes on in the National League, too, with the Pats, the surprise ball club so far.
A lot of people asking about managers.
Well, Billy Southworth is the manager of the year right now.
He's rebuilt that second base combination around second and short.
And the club's getting double plays now.
And brother, our pitcher loves to see them things.
They really take you out of trouble.
I hate to see little Joe Garagiola leave the Cardinals, too.
He's been sent to Columbus.
But that's what happens when a boy brought up too young.
Don't try to get into the majors until you're ready.
Well, that's fine, dear, and more of that big league picture next week.
Right now there is just one more thing I have to take up with you.
Your old friends, the Missouri school teachers, are after you again.
Have to have them in the audience, Frank.
Yes, but one of them has written you a very sharp note.
What does she say, Frank?
Says she's been listening to you this summer and she thinks you haven't changed a bit.
What does she mean, I haven't changed?
Well, she says you still say ain't.
How about that?
Well, Frank, all I can say is that, is what my old friend Will Rogers told me one time.
He said a lot of folks don't say ain't ain't eatin'.
So I'm going to keep on saying ain't and keep on eatin', brother.
And we hope, ladies and gentlemen, that you will keep on listening to Dizzy Dean each Saturday at this same time.
Brought to you by Johnson's Carnu, the auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application.
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