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This is RetroSports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.

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Dizzy Dean, brought to you by the makers of Johnson's Wax for Carnu, the wax fortified auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application.

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Howdy folks, all listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar.

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As she travels on the highway and down by the shore, she's mighty tall and handsome, she's known quite well by all.

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She's a combination on a Warbash cannonball.

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Ah, Dizzy, that folks was Dizzy Dean in a new role and this is Frank Eshin to inform you that you have just heard a special arrangement of the Warbash Cannonball by J. Hanner Dean, the Dean of the J. H. Dean Conservatory of Music.

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Jerome, I didn't know you could.

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Maybe I can't, Frank, but I'm especially happy today and I just busted out with it.

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Well now you can bust right out with your weekly parcel of advice for young ballplayers, Coach Dean.

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That's fine, Frank. You know I have kind of neglected the pitchers in these year advised apartments, but I'm talking to the young pitchers today.

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Gather around, boys and listen. Maybe I hope this will help you. I'm dividing the advice into two parts today. Number one, control and number two, learn to pitch with men on bases.

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Control, I believe everybody will agree, is the most important asset to a pitcher can have. In fact, you just have to have it.

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And it's the old story of practice, fellas, but the thing to do is to start from the beginning, trying to throw every pitch at a particular target.

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Even when you warm up before a game, have your catcher hold his glove for a target. Try half a dozen pitches at the low outside corner of the strike zone.

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How the catcher hold the glove, low and on the outside corner. Then aim half a dozen at the lower inside corner.

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Then pitch high and inside and then high and outside. Don't just throw to your catcher. Concentrate on every pitch. Trying to put it where you want it.

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You can build a strike zone if you want to. Make a little window as wide as the plate and extended from the knees to the shoulders.

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Rig that up on a platform, maybe help in place by a rope. Then see how many pitches you can throw through that window.

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If you go through that trouble, I believe you'll get a big kick out of the fun you'll have throwing at the strike zone window.

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And now we come to number two again. Learn to pitch with men on base. You see, when there's nobody on base, you take your full wind up.

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With a man on base, you've got to pitch from a stretch. Many a pitcher who breaks into the big leagues does all right until somebody gets on base.

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Then when it can't take his wind up, no more, he loses some of his stuff, especially his feet. It's a matter of repraxis again.

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It's a little harder to get all your power into your pitching when you can't take a wind up, so you'll need a little more practice throwing that way.

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Well, can you throw about as hard from the stretch as with a full wind up biz?

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Yes, just about, Frank, although I believe our old friend psychology figures in that. When a pitcher goes through one of them long, fancy pump handle wind up,

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it kind of scares the hitter a little and makes it look like you're throwing harder than you really are.

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Of course, that comes a time when you can't throw as hard as you used to.

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I remember when I was with the Cubs, an old Gaby Hardin come running out to the mound and says,

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"'Dear, now try to throw this one a little harder.' And I says,

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"'Gaby, I'm throwing twice as hard as I ever thrown in my life.' And Gaby looks at me kind of funny and I says,

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"'Gaby, the only trouble is that I throw hard enough, but I can't throw fast enough no more.'"

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But there's with everything even, that is, with two men with equal strength, a form, the rhythm does make a difference.

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Just like in golf, Frank, Ben Hogan ain't very big, but how he can send them a mile down the fairway.

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Well, this little discussion leads right into an item from the mailbag, Jerome.

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Okay, let's have it.

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James Stewart of Boston wants to know if you formed any definite opinion about who deserves the rookie of the year honors for 1948.

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Yes, I've been watching a lot of good-looking young ball players this season, Frank.

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Now, I'll give Mr. Stewart a couple of candidates in each league.

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That ought to be definitely enough.

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In the National League, I'll name Alvin Dark of the Boston Braves and Richie Asburn of the Phillies.

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Dark has made a big difference in the Braves.

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He's tightened that infield defense.

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He's helped turn double plays and he's helped with his hitting.

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Asburn probably would be a cinch for that honor if he'd come up with the braves of the Cardinals.

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But it hurts a fellow to be with a club that ain't in the Pundit's Raves.

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But that Asburn has been a great little outfielder all year.

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He started by crowding Harry Walker to the Baines and he's up with the leaders at hitting.

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Well, there's now about the American league's outstanding rookies.

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There are pitchers, Frank.

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One is Lou Bressy of the Athletics and the other is Gene Bairden of the Cleveland Indians.

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And it's been such a close race between the two that the pennant races may decide it.

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But I don't see anybody in the American League close to Bairden and Bressy.

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Well, Diz, there's another thing that nothing is close to.

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I reckon you're horning to talk about that pet subject of yours.

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You mean the best way to make a car shine like new?

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That's what I mean, Frank.

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By the way, did you ever have to rub down a horse, soap the hornest and shine the buggy?

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Now that there was real work.

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Well, now cleaning and polishing a car was real work too until they invented Johnson's car, New.

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Uh-huh.

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But there ain't no horse hair tail on that car that you've got to pull birds out of.

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Well, that's right, Diz.

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But there is road film on a car finish.

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Road film made up of exhaust fumes, tree sap, road oil, all kinds of things.

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And no amount of water will take it off.

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Now, car new not only cuts through that road film so that you can get your car beautifully cleaned.

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Car new also polishes your car till it shines like a blue ribbon trotter.

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Yes, men, right there you've got the important point about Johnson's car new.

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It contains five cleaning ingredients plus wax.

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So it cleans and polishes your car in one easy application.

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Just rub it on, let it dry to a white powder, then wipe it off.

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Your car is as clean as a tabletop and bright and shiny as a mirror.

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That's a kind of a car I like to roll down the main drag in, Frank.

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That's the kind of car we all like and we all get with Johnson's car new.

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So men, if you want to give your car a Sunday shine, if you want to do it in one easy application,

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ask at your service station or other dealer for Johnson's car new.

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That's C-A-R-N-U car new.

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And here's another letter before we finish with the mailbag department.

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Mr. Ralph Adams of Pasadena, California wants you to name Dizzy Dean's All-Star Big League team.

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That is the best players in each position that you've played against or seen

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during your years as player and observer of Big League Baseball.

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I'll be glad to accommodate Mr. Adams.

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Mind you, I don't say these are the greatest ever.

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Just the best I've ever seen in action.

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I'll start with the infield.

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Lou Gehrig is my first baseman.

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I don't think there'll be any argument there.

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And at second base, which wasn't so easy, I'll take old Frankie Frey.

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Frank could win a game for you all by himself.

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He'd be out and infield hit, steal second and third if he had to.

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Then he'd score on an infield out, a great man on bases, a good switch hitter, and a great defensive man.

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I know there'll be a lot of votes for Roger Hornsby,

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but I'll take freest because there wasn't anything Frankie couldn't do.

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Playing next to Frankie on my team is Lou Boudreau.

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He's shown me a lot of shortstop this season and the last few seasons.

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He's been right up there near the top in hitting all year.

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And all the time he's been managing the Cleveland Indians.

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I really don't think there ought to be no argument about Boudreau at shortstop.

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At third base, I guess we'll all vote together.

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High trainer. Now there was a third baseman.

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Tall able to grab those high line drives.

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Trainer was a great defensive man.

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You couldn't get anything through him.

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And he had a great arm.

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How do you like my infield, Frank?

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Well, sounds like a great help to the pitcher, Diz.

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I don't think many would filter through that defensive line.

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Now how about your outfield?

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I know I'm going to hear a lot of squawks on this department, Frank.

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Maybe we ought to drop the whole thing.

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Oh, no, no, no, no, Diz. Let's be brave about this. Let's have your outfield.

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All right. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musil.

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I know the first question will be, how about Ty Cobb?

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Well, I didn't see Ty Cobb and I didn't see Chris Beaker.

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But I have seen Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musil.

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And Babe Ruth should just couldn't be left off of nobody's ball club.

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Now, how about your catchers?

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I'm going to pick two, Frank.

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With either one, I wouldn't need anybody else.

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But I'm picking Gabby Hartnett and Jimmy Wilson.

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The two greatest catchers I've ever seen behind the plate.

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And I've pitched them both.

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Now we have everything but a pitching staff to roll.

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Carl Hubbell and Lefty Grove, Frank.

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Hubbell was one of the greatest I've ever seen anywhere.

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He had the greatest butterfly curve ever pitched.

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And Grove was tops in the American League as far as I could see.

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Say, but you've named only left-handers Jerome.

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How about a good right-hander now?

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I just can't seem to think of any good right-hander, Frank.

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Well, I'll tell you what, I'll think for you, Dizzy.

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How about Jerome Herman Dean?

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Do you think you could stand to have him on your team?

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Well, always did, Frank.

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Now, Dizzy Dean, how about you becoming the storyteller?

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I got a couple about umpires, Frank.

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Baseball fans seem to be interested in what goes on down on the ball field.

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Things that occasionally cause rouse between umpires and players.

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Sounds interesting. Go on.

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And, of course, when you think of umpires and their rouse, Frank,

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you think right quick the Frankie Frays.

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He had many a row of the boys in blue.

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There was a time in Boston.

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We was playing the braze, and it did seem that a lot of close plays was going against us.

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But Frank was in pretty good humor that day, and he wasn't raising no fuss.

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Then all of a sudden, Larry Gitz gets red in the face and chases Frank off the field.

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Nobody could figure what had happened.

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Ah, but I'm sure Frisch regaled you with the details as he hid in the back of that dugout.

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He sure did. Gitz was calling them at first base while Frank was coaching over at third.

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Well, after the third or fourth close one called against us, Frank walked past Gitz on the way to our dugout.

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He stops and says, Gitz, it's a nice day, isn't it, Lawrence?

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And Gitz says, yes, Frank, a beautiful day.

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And Frank says, by the way, Lawrence, have you a cup of cigars in your pocket?

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And Gitz says, no, Frank, why would you think I'd have cigars in my pocket?

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And Frisch says, because, Lawrence, you look so much like a cigar store-ended.

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And Frisch got bounced just for that?

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He sure did.

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Gitz didn't waste no time.

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That Frisch knew more ways of getting the umps mad.

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One day in Brooklyn, it was getting dark, and Frank thought the game ought to be called.

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You see, we was a run ahead.

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Anyhow, our pitcher got into a little trouble, and Frank sent the groundkeeper after a flash light

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and started down to the bullpen, flashing the light so he could find his way.

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Well, did Frank get bounced for that one?

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Yes, George Major Kirk showed Frank the way to the clubhouse that time.

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And another time, when Frank thought the game ought to be called on the count of rain,

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he got a big wagon umbrella and walked back and forth in front of the dugout, and he got bounced again.

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And yet, Gitz, they tell me Frisch and the umpires are the very best of friends.

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They are, Frank. You see, Frisch never gets vicious.

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It's all good, clean fun, and the umpires have to laugh, too.

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But of course, them umpires got dignity, and they got to protect that.

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Yes, and they have a job to do.

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That's right, Frank, just like everybody else in baseball.

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Like today, we was playing the Phillies at the Old Baker Bowl, late in September.

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The Phillies was down in last place, and we got off to an early lead.

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It wasn't much of a ball game, and the small crowd kept getting smaller and smaller.

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But we noticed one crowd of people down the right field stands, and they stayed inning after inning.

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Not one of them left the ballpark.

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Finally, we got curious, and I said, I'm going to the bullpen to warm up a little.

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And I'm going to find out what them people are staying to the finish of this ball game.

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So I go to the bullpen in the right field corner of the park,

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and when I pass the group that was sticking to the finish, I ask, how come

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that they should stay so faithfully with us, leading the Phillies 17-2?

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But they told me, dizzy, they said, we know this is a pretty bad ball game,

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and we'd like to go home like everybody else is doing, but we can't.

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You see, we're the ground crew.

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Well now, Diz, before your last job on this series of programs for Johnson's Carnew,

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dog gone, that's right, this is my last program for Carnar this summer.

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And we should say thank you for listening, and thanks for all them letters.

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And we hope we'll be back again for Carnew next summer.

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Stop, Frank, or you'll have me crying.

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I don't like to say goodbye.

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Neither do I, Diz, so before we sign off for the summer, let's have Dizzy dean the reporter

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give us the picture as you see it on the pennant races as they go into that final stretch.

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Well, Frank, one of the races is about over.

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The Braves have a comfortable lead, and Billy Southworth has put the job of protecting that lead

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into the hands of his two pitching stars.

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That's a smart move.

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Johnny Stain and Warren Spahn can do a little extra work till that flag is seen

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and then have time to rest before the World Series.

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All right, and how about the American lead, Diz?

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That may go right down to the wire, Frank, but the Yankees are within easiest striking distance.

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They may be some World Series games at Yankee Stadium in October.

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Watch them, Frank, if those Yankees ever get ahead, their red socks won't catch them again.

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Ah, those are words of wisdom, Jerome, words of wisdom indeed.

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Now, friends, before closing, just a brief rundown of Dizzy Dean's All-Star Team pick today.

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First base, Lou Gehrig, second, Frankie Frisch, shortstop, Lou Boudreau, third base, Pye Treanor,

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in the outfield, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Babe Ruth, the catchers, Gabby Hartnett and Jimmy Wilson,

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and the pitchers, Carl Hubble, Lefty Grove, and of course, the one and only Dizzy Dean.

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He's been brought to you by Johnson's Carnew, a wax-fortified auto-polish that cleans and polishes

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your car in one easy application. Rub it on and wipe it off, that's all there is to it.

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Rub it on and Carnew cleans your car, loosens up that sticky, stubborn road film that water won't touch.

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Wipe it off and Carnew polishes your car. Ask for Johnson's wax-fortified Carnew today.

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You'll save your arms, you'll save your time while you're making your car sparkle like new.

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Because remember to give your car that Sunday shine, rub it on and wipe it off, is all you do with Carnew.

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This is old Dears saying, good bye for now. I've had a lot of fun pitching my cross for Johnson's Carnew.

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This is Frank Eshin saying the same thing for the makers of Johnson's wax-fortified auto-polish Carnew.

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This program came to you from KSD St. Louis. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.