Class of: 1953 (BBWAA, 79.2%)
Team: Cardinals
Key Stats: 150 Wins, 1163 K, 40.9 WAR
Dizzy Dean may have been the prototype case for Sandy Koufax, only his career arc occurred in the opposite direction of Koufax’s. Dean started out as one of the best pitchers in the game’s history, but an injury caused him to alter his motion and he was effectively done as a top pitcher, whereas Koufax started out slowly then became one of the best pitchers on the planet before retiring after a brief career. Dean’s case has always been interesting to me because of how his career went and serves as a reminder that if you’re one of the best in the game for a long enough time, even if your career fizzles out you can be a Hall of Famer (so maybe he’s closer to Clayton Kershaw than to Koufax, but my point stands).
Following a one start cup of coffee in 1930, Dean’s career began in earnest in 1932. That season, in 286 innings, he won 18 games, was worth 5.3 WAR and struck out 191 batters. Not bad for a 22-year old kid from the Ozarks. The next four seasons saw similar results. Dean would win 20 or more games each year, strike out at least 190 and was worth at least 6.6 WAR. During that stretch, Dean won one MVP award (thanks to a 30-win season) and would finish second twice in the balloting. Dean would also become a well-renowned celebrity thanks to his quick wit with reporters and winning two starts in the 1934 World Series as part of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals. Dean’s colloquialisms would endear him to fans and to writers alike. For example, after winning the first game of a double header for the Cardinals, Dean’s brother Paul (known as Daffy) threw a no-hitter in the nightcap. The reporters flocked to Dizzy first who told them that if he knew Paul was going to throw a no-hitter “[He’d-a] thowed one, too” (at least, that’s what my grandfather would tell me). For the first five years of his career, he most likely was the best pitcher in the game.
1937 started out much the same way for Dean. By the All-Star break, he had a 12-7 record with a 2.41 ERA and 110 strikeouts. Named to the All-Star team that season (his fourth and final selection), Dean faced down fellow future Hall of Famer Earl Averill when it happened. Averill smashed a line drive up the middle and it hit Dean’s left foot. After missing a couple of weeks, Dean forced his way back onto the team before he was healthy and hurt his arm. And, unfortunately, Dean’s career would soon come to a halt. He had a solid season as a spot starter for the Cubs in 1938 but would never top 100 innings in a season again. His strikeout rate plummeted, and his WHIP and ERA would be inflated and, not counting one start for the Browns in 1947, Dean was done as a pitcher after one game in 1941.
Dean’s case was probably the first player where the BBWAA had to consider peak versus career accomplishments. During his peak (1932-1937), Dean ranked first in WAR, K-Rate, wins, strikeouts and shutouts. His ERA- was outranked only by Carl Hubbell and Leftys Gomez and Grove. His FIP- was only beaten out by Grove. Hubbell and Grove were the only ones to outpace his RA9-WAR. At his best, Dean could easily be considered the best pitcher in the game. He may not have been at his best long, but those six years were so dominant that he needed to be recognized by the Hall of Fame.
It’s not hard to see why Dean’s case wasn’t as much of a slam dunk for the BBWAA as it is in hindsight. With so few innings, Dean couldn’t put up the large win totals or strikeout totals a lot of his Hall of Fame peers were able to attain. However, his absolute dominance of the game during his peak years make him an easy choice for induction. It’d be difficult to rank him higher than players like Grove and Hubbell who were dominant longer, but he certainly belongs in their company.
Baseball From the Outside 