Starting Pitcher: Dizzy Dean (1930; 1932-1937)
Dizzy Dean, aka “Dizzy,” played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 30s for the “Gashouse Gang.” The Gang was a nickname for the team during this time period. Dizzy was best known for his 1934 season where he won 30 games and led the Cardinals to the National League Pennant and the World Series win. He finished the season 30-7 with a 2.66 ERA. He is the only pitcher to win 30 games in the post-1920 live-ball era.
Dizzy quickly became a fan favorite because of his tendency to brag about his dominance and make predictions about his performances. He once made a bet that he could strike out Vince DiMaggio four times in one game. In DiMaggio’s first three at-bats he struck out. In the fourth, he popped up to the catcher who intentionally dropped it due to Dizzy’s command. Dizzy then struck him out and won the bet. After his incredible 1934 season, Dizzy won the National League MVP award.
The four-time All-Star led the league in complete games and in strikeouts four consecutive times in his career. His career ended abruptly due to an injury that occurred during the 1937 All-Star game. But that didn’t keep him from the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1953 and became a baseball broadcaster. If he didn’t get injured, who knows how great he could’ve been. Either way, he still is one of the best and is definitely on the all-time Cardinals roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google