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Here he is again, folks. Dizzy Dean, brought to you by the makers of Johnson's wax for Karnoo.
A wax fortified auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application.
Hi everybody. Front and center you out, uh, fielders.
I'm gonna have some advice for you fire chasers today.
So relax and get ready to do some remembering, what I tell you.
Yes, and that's just one of the things Dizzy Dean will tell you today and every Saturday at this time.
This is Frank Eschen who knows that Dizzy Dean knows what he's talking about.
Dizzy will answer letters from the mailbag, he'll spin a few baseball yarns,
he'll do some prognosticating, and he'll tell you of the big league picture as he sees it.
And first off today we have the mailbag, Diz.
What did the postman bring this time, Frank?
Well, it was a very hemmic of Seattle. Mr. McCormick was interested in your comment on Bob Lemon.
He's been in the Indians in a recent broadcast.
He wants to know if you think many ballplayers start out in the wrong position
and how it happens that occasionally some manager does see unsuspected talent and put a player on the right path.
To get right down to the point, Diz, have there been many cases like that of Bob Lemon?
Frank, I guess Mr. McCormick's right.
I reckon there's been lots of ballplayers who never made it in the big leagues
because they picked the wrong job in the first place.
But I can think of several who got straightened out.
Take Bucky Walters for instance.
He came up as an infielder, but he wasn't much of a hitter.
I guess he'd have drifted out of the big leagues without ever getting into the big dough.
If that great little catcher, Jimmy Wilson, hadn't seen that Bucky could become a great pitcher.
And what was it, Diz, that first attracted Jimmy's attention to Bucky Walters' potentialities as a pitcher?
What was that word, Frank, potentialosities?
It was potentialities, Diz. You know, the qualifications that led Wilson to believe that Walters,
the mediocre infielder, might become a pitcher.
Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?
It was this way. Walters was playing the infielder and Jimmy was using him at third base.
Jimmy noticed that the first baseman was having trouble with Bucky's throws.
And when he asked the first baseman, he told Jimmy that Bucky's throw was taking off.
Doing what? Taking off?
Yes, Frank, taking off. You know, one throw would rise, another would curve.
That's what they call taking off, Frank. The trade calls it throwing a live ball.
Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, Diz? But go ahead, go on.
Well, the rest of the story was just a matter of time, Frank. I mean until Walters got control.
And when he got it, boy, he was hard to beat.
All he had to do when he pitched against the Cardinals was to walk out there on the mound,
use the cards, and was beat right there.
Well, Diz, did Walters have trouble with his control?
I'll say he did. He was pitching an exhibition game against us in Florida.
His first swing as a pitcher. And I'll never forget it.
He walked two men, hit one, and then clurred the bases with two wild pitches.
Boy, the batters wasn't digging in at that there plate when Bucky's pitching.
When I went to bat it, he liked to took off the peak of my cap with the first one.
Then by some chance he got two strikes on me.
But I had enough of hitting against Walters for that time.
And when the umpire said, ball two, I said, ball two nothing.
That ball was right in there and I am out.
Glad to get out, huh?
Yes, sir.
But Diz, when Walters got that valuable thing control, he really had it, didn't he?
Yes, Frank. And after you get control, unless you can just throw a pile of hitters,
you've got to learn to throw that ball where you want.
You've got to mix up your pitches, wasting one now and then.
Like one game Walters pitched against us after he was beginning to find himself,
we decided in the clubhouse that Walters would be trying to get that first ball in there.
So we went out to swing at the first pitch and we got off to a good start.
Pepper Martin hits the first pitch for a single.
Jack Routrock hits the next pitch for an infield hit.
And Frankie Freish doubles on the next one.
And then Joe Medwick hits the fourth pitch right out of the bark.
Four pitches and we got four runs.
Jimmy Wilson managed the fillers, fillers, run out and says to the young catcher,
Bill Atwood, what's the matter? Ain't Bucky got his stuff?
And the young catcher cracks back at Wilson.
How the world should I know, Jimmy? I ain't caught a ball yet.
Well, Diz infielders seem to make good pitchers.
Now there was Bob Lemon you told us about a couple of weeks ago and Bucky Walters today.
Does it ever work the other way?
Yes, Frank. Occasionally a pitcher throws away the toe plate and plays every day.
You heard of a fellow named Bay Brook.
Ah, the best example yet, Diz.
Then there was Chick Haypea, the old Cardinal.
Chick was taking part in batting practice at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis with a lot of other rookies.
He kept slamming the ball against the fences.
Vance Rickey was in the stands and he says to one of the scouts,
who is that boy that just hit that ball?
And the scout says, that's Chick Haypea, a pitcher.
And Rickey says, you mean he was a pitcher?
Tell him he's an outfielder now.
And Chick became one of the best outfielders because he could hit that ball in a mile.
Well, Diz, I'd like to tell the men now how they can make a hit with their families.
On Sunday, I guess all of us like to drive down the street in a clean, sparkling car.
But when it comes to cleaning it, well, there's always a temptation to stall and putter around the house
and do anything rather than face that tough job.
Well, if anybody ain't using car new, I'll say you ain't really pitching.
I'm doing my best, Diz, doing my best to let everybody know that Johnson's wax-fortified car new
solves the auto-cleaning problem.
No doubt about it, men.
Car new makes that job much easier because it cleans and polishes in one application.
First, the special cleaning ingredients in Johnson's car new soften up and carry away
that stubborn road film that collects on your car.
Water can't touch that film, but car new gets it quick.
And second, car new polishes your car so it shines from radiator to taillight.
That's because car new is wax-fortified.
All you do is apply Johnson's car new, let it dry to a white powder, and then wipe it off.
Rub it on, wipe it off.
That's all there is to it.
So as soon as this program is over, why not drop in on your dealer or the nearest filling station
and get some Johnson's wax-fortified car new?
Car new works so quickly you can easily do the job before sundown.
And how will your car look?
Say, that paint job will sparkle like new.
The chrome trim will glisten and glean.
Your whole car will have that Sunday shine.
Now it's time for Dizzy Dean the coach.
Are you ready to tell those outfielders about chasing flies, Diz?
All set, Frank.
And right off, I'll set it up in four main points.
First, learn to play the hitters.
Second, be ready to do the right thing when the ball is hit your way.
Third, have in mind exactly what the situation is.
And fourth, learn to play with sunglasses before you break into a league where you may have to play the sun field.
And now I'll take up them points.
First again, most hitters have a habit of hitting to a certain field.
Learn about that every time you get a new hitter comes to bat.
Move where you think he's most likely to hit the ball.
And second, on each hitter, make up your mind where you'll throw the ball if you catch a fly or feel a base hit.
And don't put off your thinking till the ball is in your hand.
If you do that kind of thinking, after you get the ball, you'll weaken your ball club.
And third, keep in mind the score and how many are on base and what bases they're on.
If your team has a good lead, you may let a run score to keep a man from going to third.
If you're only one run ahead, you'll play in close and make a throw to the plate to cut off that tying run if it's all possible.
I can't sum that up better than to say, keep the situation in mind at all times.
And about number four, and them sunglasses.
You'll be glad you take that advice.
I've seen many outfielder come up from the minors without even having worn sunglasses.
It's true they play most of their games in the minors at night.
But learn to wear sunglasses just the same.
Get yourself a pair of sunglasses, you young outfielders, and learn to use them.
They may keep you from making an extra trip for those bush leagues.
Ah, that's very fine advice, Diz, but I think you've been unusually serious today.
How about one of those inimitable baseball stories? Dizzy Dean the storyteller, huh?
Okay, Frank, how about an umpire story?
That's fine, go right ahead.
Well, this is about me and a veteran umpire named Cy Fairman.
He was in close game with the Giants, and I was on first base when Frankie Frisch hit a clean single to the right.
I was a pretty good baserunner, Frank, if I do say so myself.
And I really took off.
I rounded second, tore for third, and me and the cloud of dust and the ball all arrived at third at the same time.
I thought I'd made it, but umpire Fairman called me out.
But before I could get up and squawk about the decision, Fairman started talking and brushing me off.
He brushed the dust off my shoulders, and he said,
Diz, that was a great piece of baserunning.
Frisch couldn't have run no faster, and that slide Dizzy Ty Cobb couldn't have done no better.
But Dizzy, Ott made a great throw on the play, and you're out.
I didn't have the heart to say no more to Fairman.
But on the way to the dugout, I passed Bill Clem, who was working at the plate, and I said, Bill, did you see that play?
And Bill said, Yes, Jerome, I seen it.
Well, I started telling Bill that I was safe and that Jackson hasn't tagged me.
And I beat the throw when Bill broke in and said, Jerome, remember me?
I am Bill Clem behind the plate.
If you want to get on somebody about that play at third, talk to Mr. Fairman.
And I said, No, sir, Bill. I couldn't say nothing to Cy.
You know he was so nice to me that if I'd had a quarter in my pocket out of tiffin.
Always the kind-hearted, generous Dizzy Dean.
Right now, though, it's Dizzy Dean, the reporter.
And what has your rapt attention right now, Diz?
What do you see in that crystal ball?
You mean you want me to do some promiscicating, Frank?
If you care to, Diz. But first of all, let's take a look at that big league picture.
Well, I'd say that right now, Frank, Lou Boudreau and Connie Mack is on the spot.
What I mean is that two hot clubs are barking at the heels of the Cleveland Indians and the Athletics.
The Red Sox are the hottest club, and the way things is right now,
it looks like it might be an all-Boston series next October.
But the Yankees are staying up close enough.
I wouldn't be surprised if the situation is turned around in another couple of weeks.
I mean, I expect the Red Sox and the Yankees to be fighting it out soon for the first spot in the American League.
Diz, what do you think has been responsible for the upsurge of the Red Sox?
It ain't any one thing, Frank.
It takes power, defense, and pitching to keep a club going at top speed.
It looks like a case of everything starting to click for the Red Sox.
And here's the funny thing about it, Frank.
Everybody figured Ted Williams would have to carry that ball club.
But Ted's been out for about 15 games, and the Red Sox kept on winning.
Nine straights up to the day.
And Stan Spence hasn't been doing too much hitting.
But even with Williams out and Spence in the slump, Boston's been moving right along.
You know, Frank, most of the experts figured the Yankees would win this year.
They figured New York would have better pitching.
But right now the Yankee pitcher is not so hot, while Boston's pitching has been getting better.
Jack Kramer has been a big help.
Vern Stevens has been pounding that ball.
Ellis Kinder won another one the other day.
Frank, that big winner deal with the Browns is paying off at last.
And it seems to me, too, that Joe McCarthy rates a hand for getting that club going.
You said it, Frank.
It would have been easier for Joe to get panicky the way the Red Sox started.
But he just kept quiet.
He knew he had the power.
He knew he had a good ball club.
He stayed with the boys, and now they're coming through.
But you think the Yankees will fight it out for first place.
You expect the Yankee pitching to improve this?
It could, Frank.
Bucky Harris has pitching who might start clicking any day.
Rashee, Reynolds, and Lopat could put together a winning streak if Frank Shea could find himself.
And in the National League?
That won't get exciting, Frank, until somebody cuts down that wide space between the Boston Braves and second place.
Billy Southworth's got himself a pretty fat cushion right now, Frank.
He looks like a winner to me.
Well, so much for the Swami reporter.
But now, Diz, would you care to say something about that Cleveland-Washington row the other night?
You know, the one that resulted in the sort of a man-bite-dog news that an umpire had been suspended?
Well, go ahead, Frank. Put me on the spot.
Don't you know there ain't never been no open season on umpires?
Seriously, though, Frank, here's an idea.
Them umpires take a lot through a season.
Pitchers beef if a close one has called a ball.
The batter beefs if it's called a strike.
I imagine if even old deers would get fed up on that if I were an umpire.
But let's suggest one big free day for the umpires.
On that day, let the umpires beef at the ball players.
Let them ball them out if they strike out or if they get caught off a base.
Let the umpires sow dust and kick masks and raws them bags.
Frank, I believe the umpire's got a day of freedom coming to him.
Diz, I certainly second that motion.
And if the umpires learn about this, they'll be coming right back to you for more help.
And folks, we hope you'll be right back with us at this same time next week to listen to Dizzy Dean.
He's brought to you by Johnson's Carnu,
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This is old Diz. Hope all you folks understand this time next Saturday.
I'll be pitching McCross again for Johnson's Carnu.
This is Frank Ashen saying goodbye until next Saturday
for the makers of Johnson's wax-fortified auto-polish, Carnu.
This program came to you from KSD St. Louis.
This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.
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