Think Blue · Mar 18, 2018
For Dodgers and Their Rivals, Velocity Is Always a Wild Card
Here’s a history lesson (I will keep it very short, I promise).
Way back in the 1930s, there was an outstanding St. Louis Cardinals pitcher named Dizzy Dean. Dean was a great pitcher, racking up 120 wins, 970 strikeouts, 19 shutouts and 30 saves while averaging a ridiculous 306 innings per season from 1932 to 1936. He led the league in strikeouts four consecutive seasons. Dean won 30 games, the National League’s Most Valuable Player award and the World Series in 1934.
Anyhow: in 1937, Dean kicked a comebacker in the All-Star Game and broke a toe. He came back from the injury too soon and promptly blew out his arm. Dean got by on guts and guile in 1938, but was out of baseball by 1941.