1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Dizzy Dean, brought to you by the makers of Johnson's Wax for car news. 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:19,000 A wax fortified auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application. 4 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:25,000 My goodness, Frank, do you mean I'm going to be on NBC Air a Saturday afternoon to talk about baseball? 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,000 That's right, Diz, and I'm going to tell the folks about Johnson's car news, auto polish that really... 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Let's get going, let's get going. Boy, I'll tell you a story that I'll never forget about Charlie Grimm. 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Well, now just a minute, Diz. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Do you have another one about Frankie Freese? I'd like to tell that story. 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Well, just a second, now... 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Let me tell you something about Lefty Gomez, the New York Yankees. 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,000 Well, okay, go ahead. You've got me going. 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,000 Well, Frank, Lefty Gomez was pitching a ball game against Bobby Feller in 1936, 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,000 and in the seventh inning the Yankees were leading 2-1. They had 65,000 people in the grandstands. 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:59,000 And the Yankees, naturally, being out in front, they start stalling for time, trying to get it to get darker, 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 and they could win the ball game 2-1. 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,000 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. 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:12,000 So Gomez, being the next batter, he's reached over to Joe McCarthy, the manager of the Yankees, and says, 18 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,000 give me a match. I'll fix that umpire. So he took a match in the bat and walked up to the plate. 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,000 And he struck the match as he walked into the batter's box, and boy, I mean the summers. 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:27,000 The umpire summers really like to blue his top. He stepped out from out of the plate, and he says, Lefty says, 21 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,000 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. 22 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,000 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, 23 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,000 I can see the ball all right, he says, but I want to be doggone sure a feller can see me. 24 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Okay, it is. That's well. But I'd like to tell one more. 25 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,000 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 26 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,000 before you start pitching him so fast. Folks, this is Frank Eschen. 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000 I want to tell you a little more about this program, what you can expect each Saturday. 28 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,000 You see, I've known Dizzy Dean for years. I've seen him pitch some of his great games. 29 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:08,000 I've worked with him here in St. Louis, where he made his name with the great St. Louis Cardinals. 30 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Every Saturday afternoon, Dizzy Dean will bring back to life immortals of the diamond in his anecdotes of his baseball career. 31 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:21,000 He'll answer questions from the mailbag, telling of colorful incidents in baseball in which he has played such a rich part. 32 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,000 He'll have advice for the young Americans who want to become big leaguers, 33 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 and Dizzy really knows what it takes to make the big league great. 34 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:37,000 Boys who play in church leagues, municipal leagues, or small town sandlots will be interested deeply in counsel from the colorful Dizzy Dean. 35 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Dizzy will take the two leagues apart and put them back together again in his inimitable way as the pennant races progress. 36 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:49,000 There'll be hot off the wire news. There'll be stories about the heroes who are making the baseball news. 37 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,000 And by the way, Dizzy, do you think you'll have any trouble talking 15 minutes every Saturday? 38 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,000 Frank, if somebody don't stop me, I'll be talking an hour and 15 minutes. 39 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,000 You know, Frank, I'm something of a veteran in this area of broadcasting business. 40 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,000 You're almost a 10-year man, eh? 41 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:08,000 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. 42 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 And brother, I'm glad they've changed the rules since I started this broadcasting business. 43 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Well, what do you mean, Dizzy? Change the rules? 44 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:19,000 Well, maybe, Frank, I should say I'm glad there ain't no wartime rules to worry about no more. 45 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,000 You know, when the war was on, I was a little new on the job, and the rules were strict. 46 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 There was a game in St. Louis, and rain began to fall during the game. 47 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:33,000 And you know how it was during the war? You couldn't say nothing about the weather in St. Louis. 48 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Farfair, it might change the military situation at Ashen or Iwo Jima. 49 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,000 Go ahead, that's all right. 50 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:46,000 But there was a long interruption this day, and my partner, Johnny O'Hara, finally got tired of talking and says, 51 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,000 Diz, here's the mic. It's all yours. 52 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:55,000 Well, I talked as long as I could about what a close game it was and how maybe play would resume pretty soon. 53 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:03,000 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. 54 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Diz, you always did have a reputation for getting yourself out of a tight spot. 55 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,000 Right now I'm going to put you on the spot. 56 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,000 What's next, Frank? 57 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:18,000 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. 58 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:25,000 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. 59 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:32,000 Al Brennan of Chicago wants to know what game you look on as the biggest in your whole baseball career. 60 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Well, Frank, I certainly appreciate that letter, and there's a lot of games I can look upon as big games. 61 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:44,000 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. 62 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:51,000 We won the pennant that year for the Cardinals and went into the series, the underdog, to defeat the Tigers. 63 00:04:51,000 --> 00:05:00,000 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. 64 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:08,000 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. 65 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:15,000 And I was fortunate enough to pitch that ball game and beat Detroit 11 to nothing, winning the championship. 66 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Then the saddest game I believe I ever lost and the toughest game I ever lost, Frank, was about three or four years later. 67 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:31,000 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. 68 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,000 I was just thinking if I'd had a good arm, I wonder what I'd have brought. 69 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,000 No telling, Biz, no telling. 70 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:42,000 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. 71 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:52,000 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. 72 00:05:52,000 --> 00:06:00,000 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. 73 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:09,000 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. 74 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:19,000 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. 75 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:26,000 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. 76 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,000 He put his arms around my shoulder, and I sort of felt a little better. 77 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:34,000 He says, Son, he says you pitched a great ball game out there with what you had on the ball. 78 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,000 He says, at one game, I'd like to see you won, although it was against our American League club. 79 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,000 It is everybody was pulling for you in that game. 80 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Well, in between those great games, you had the reputation of being something of a problem child. 81 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,000 I know, for example, that you gave Frankie Frisch some very anxious moments. 82 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,000 Oh, I guess me and Paul was famous for that, all right. 83 00:06:53,000 --> 00:07:00,000 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. 84 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,000 In fact, it was a doubleheader in Brooklyn, Frank. 85 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000 And Frankie was one of the greatest second baseman in the game, you know. 86 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:14,000 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. 87 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,000 And I gave him an argument on every one. 88 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,000 Finally, I said, let's stop this silly business, Frank. 89 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:27,000 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? 90 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Well, Frank almost had a stroke. 91 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000 He told us to go out and pitch the way we wanted. 92 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000 He didn't care if we did get our ears pinned back. 93 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,000 And the rest of the story is that I pitched a three-hitter that afternoon. 94 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,000 Nobody gets a hit off me till the eighth inning with one or two out. 95 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000 And then my brother Paul goes out and pitches a no-hitter. 96 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,000 That was in that second game, and that was a lot of pitching that day, Diz. 97 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:56,000 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. 98 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,000 Ain't it, Frank? 99 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Well, before you do that, it's my turn, Diz. 100 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,000 I have a little advice to give. 101 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,000 Here it is Saturday afternoon. 102 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,000 Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. 103 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:13,000 And the most sensible thing a man can do before the sun goes down is to give that car of his a Sunday shine with Johnson's Carnu 104 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:18,000 so that his car will be a sparkler instead of a dud in the Fourth of July parade. 105 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:23,000 There's just no sense in anybody driving around on any Sunday in a car that's dull and shabby 106 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:29,000 as long as you can keep your car shiny and new-looking with one easy application of Carnu. 107 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Just rub it on and wipe it off. 108 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:39,000 Carnu takes off all road grime, bugs, oil, tar, tree sap, everything water won't touch. 109 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,000 Carnu is wax fortified. 110 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:48,000 It puts a showroom shine on chrome and body that'll make your family or your girlfriend proud to take that Sunday ride with you. 111 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 So give your car a Sunday shine with Johnson's Carnu. 112 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,000 Rub it on, wipe it off. 113 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,000 It cleans and polishes in one easy application. 114 00:08:58,000 --> 00:08:59,000 How about that, Mr. Dean? 115 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Frank, you certainly said a mouthful, brother. 116 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:06,000 And speaking of mouthfuls, you're going to have to unload a mouthful of advice to young pitchers. 117 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:07,000 Okay, Frank. 118 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:12,000 Boys, this part of our program is specific for the boys. 119 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,000 But I want fathers and big brothers to listen, too. 120 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:20,000 It's a little advice to boys who want to be pitchers and who hope someday to reach the major leagues. 121 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,000 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. 122 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:31,000 You know, when I was a boy, Frank, I didn't have the chances that the young boys today have gotten. 123 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:36,000 And when I broke in to baseball, we didn't have a lot of baseball parks all over the country. 124 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,000 We didn't have big league. 125 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:43,000 I didn't have big league pitchers and players to tell me what to do and how to take care of myself. 126 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,000 And I just like to say to the young boys that's breaking in today is don't throw too much. 127 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,000 In other words, don't pitch too much. 128 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:51,000 Do a lot of running. 129 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,000 Keep your legs in shape. 130 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,000 And always get three to four days rest. 131 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:02,000 In other words, just rest after you pitch a ball game and then do a lot of running in the outfield. 132 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Well, some of those star kid pitchers like to pitch every day, and that's bad, isn't it? 133 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Yes, a lot of young pitchers, it's a star on a ball sub. 134 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 The other boys come around and pat him on the back and says, 135 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,000 Johnny, you've got to pitch for us tomorrow. 136 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,000 After pitching today, you've got to pitch the next day. 137 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:22,000 They want their best pitcher to pitch because them kids are all left to win, which is a very, very good thing. 138 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,000 And another thing for the young pitchers is to never throw curves. 139 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,000 Now, I'm talking about boys from 9 to 15 years old. 140 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:33,000 Don't start throwing curves at young because the curve balls will come later. 141 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:38,000 And it's not hard to throw a curve ball when your arm is strong and it's developed. 142 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Just take the ball and throw nothing strictly but fast balls and work on control. 143 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:50,000 And as I said a minute ago, the curves will come when you develop ready for the big leagues. 144 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,000 And the third is warming up properly. 145 00:10:54,000 --> 00:11:01,000 When you're out there on the mound starting a ball game, you must have 15 minutes of warming up before starting. 146 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,000 You walk out there and start lobbing the ball to the catcher easily, 147 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:11,000 gradually increasing the speed of the throw as the 15 minutes goes by. 148 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,000 And then the last three or four pitches you must grab back and throw the ball and you know you're in shape then, 149 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 you're loosened up, and then you can go out and pitch your regular turn. 150 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000 And that way you'll never hurt yourself. 151 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Well, it is in order to sum up for these young pitchers, suppose we do it this way. 152 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,000 Number one, don't pitch too often. 153 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,000 Get plenty of rest between games. 154 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,000 Don't start throwing those curves too soon. 155 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:39,000 And in the third place, warm up properly before you pitch any game. 156 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 And next week you'll have some fine advice for young catchers. 157 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Right now, Diz, what does the big league show look like to you today? 158 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,000 Well, Frank, I've been asked that question all over the country in the last couple of months. 159 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:56,000 And right now I want to say that the moment Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians, 160 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:02,000 who pitched a no-hitter Wednesday night, is the hottest thing in the American league, in fact, in either league. 161 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,000 But I want to say don't get discouraged because you ain't having no luck. 162 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Bob Lemon started out as a third baseman. 163 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,000 He fumbled grounders and couldn't hit. 164 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,000 They tried him in the outfield, but they were scared he'd get hit on the head. 165 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 That was just two years ago. 166 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 And now Bob Lemon is top man on the pitching staff. 167 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 It includes none other than Bobby Fowler himself. 168 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:27,000 The Indians in athletics is hanging on to the top spot in the American league right now. 169 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000 But watch the Yankees in red socks. 170 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,000 They're moving up, folks. 171 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,000 And I figure they'll be fighting for first place after it gets good and hot. 172 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000 But what a year. 173 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Whoever figured the athletics on the 3rd of July would have won more than any other club in the league. 174 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 They won 42 ballgames more than any other club in either league. 175 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:54,000 The dogfight goes on in the National League, too, with the Pats, the surprise ball club so far. 176 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,000 A lot of people asking about managers. 177 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Well, Billy Southworth is the manager of the year right now. 178 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:04,000 He's rebuilt that second base combination around second and short. 179 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,000 And the club's getting double plays now. 180 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,000 And brother, our pitcher loves to see them things. 181 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,000 They really take you out of trouble. 182 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,000 I hate to see little Joe Garagiola leave the Cardinals, too. 183 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,000 He's been sent to Columbus. 184 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,000 But that's what happens when a boy brought up too young. 185 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Don't try to get into the majors until you're ready. 186 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:29,000 Well, that's fine, dear, and more of that big league picture next week. 187 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Right now there is just one more thing I have to take up with you. 188 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,000 Your old friends, the Missouri school teachers, are after you again. 189 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,000 Have to have them in the audience, Frank. 190 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,000 Yes, but one of them has written you a very sharp note. 191 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,000 What does she say, Frank? 192 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Says she's been listening to you this summer and she thinks you haven't changed a bit. 193 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,000 What does she mean, I haven't changed? 194 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Well, she says you still say ain't. 195 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,000 How about that? 196 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:57,000 Well, Frank, all I can say is that, is what my old friend Will Rogers told me one time. 197 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:03,000 He said a lot of folks don't say ain't ain't eatin'. 198 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,000 So I'm going to keep on saying ain't and keep on eatin', brother. 199 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:13,000 And we hope, ladies and gentlemen, that you will keep on listening to Dizzy Dean each Saturday at this same time. 200 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:21,000 Brought to you by Johnson's Carnu, the auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application. 201 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Music