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1948 • Baseball Clip • Dizzy Dean's All Star Lineup • Radio · Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History

• 0:00
  This is RetroSports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
• 0:08
  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.
• 0:19
  Howdy folks, all listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar.
• 0:24
  As she travels on the highway and down by the shore, she's mighty tall and handsome, she's known quite well by all.
• 0:32
  She's a combination on a Warbash cannonball.
• 0:37
  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.
• 0:53
  Jerome, I didn't know you could.
• 0:56
  Maybe I can't, Frank, but I'm especially happy today and I just busted out with it.
• 1:01
  Well now you can bust right out with your weekly parcel of advice for young ballplayers, Coach Dean.
• 1:06
  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.
• 1:14
  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.
• 1:26
  Control, I believe everybody will agree, is the most important asset to a pitcher can have. In fact, you just have to have it.
• 1:34
  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.
• 1:43
  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.
• 1:52
  How the catcher hold the glove, low and on the outside corner. Then aim half a dozen at the lower inside corner.
• 1:59
  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.
• 2:08
  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.
• 2:15
  Rig that up on a platform, maybe help in place by a rope. Then see how many pitches you can throw through that window.
• 2:23
  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.
• 2:30
  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.
• 2:39
  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.
• 2:47
  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.
• 2:56
  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.
• 3:04
  Well, can you throw about as hard from the stretch as with a full wind up biz?
• 3:08
  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,
• 3:17
  it kind of scares the hitter a little and makes it look like you're throwing harder than you really are.
• 3:23
  Of course, that comes a time when you can't throw as hard as you used to.
• 3:27
  I remember when I was with the Cubs, an old Gaby Hardin come running out to the mound and says,
• 3:32
  "'Dear, now try to throw this one a little harder.' And I says,
• 3:36
  "'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,
• 3:43
  "'Gaby, the only trouble is that I throw hard enough, but I can't throw fast enough no more.'"
• 3:49
  But there's with everything even, that is, with two men with equal strength, a form, the rhythm does make a difference.
• 3:55
  Just like in golf, Frank, Ben Hogan ain't very big, but how he can send them a mile down the fairway.
• 4:02
  Well, this little discussion leads right into an item from the mailbag, Jerome.
• 4:06
  Okay, let's have it.
• 4:07
  James Stewart of Boston wants to know if you formed any definite opinion about who deserves the rookie of the year honors for 1948.
• 4:14
  Yes, I've been watching a lot of good-looking young ball players this season, Frank.
• 4:18
  Now, I'll give Mr. Stewart a couple of candidates in each league.
• 4:22
  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.
• 4:30
  Dark has made a big difference in the Braves.
• 4:32
  He's tightened that infield defense.
• 4:34
  He's helped turn double plays and he's helped with his hitting.
• 4:38
  Asburn probably would be a cinch for that honor if he'd come up with the braves of the Cardinals.
• 4:42
  But it hurts a fellow to be with a club that ain't in the Pundit's Raves.
• 4:46
  But that Asburn has been a great little outfielder all year.
• 4:49
  He started by crowding Harry Walker to the Baines and he's up with the leaders at hitting.
• 4:54
  Well, there's now about the American league's outstanding rookies.
• 4:57
  There are pitchers, Frank.
• 4:59
  One is Lou Bressy of the Athletics and the other is Gene Bairden of the Cleveland Indians.
• 5:03
  And it's been such a close race between the two that the pennant races may decide it.
• 5:09
  But I don't see anybody in the American League close to Bairden and Bressy.
• 5:13
  Well, Diz, there's another thing that nothing is close to.
• 5:16
  I reckon you're horning to talk about that pet subject of yours.
• 5:19
  You mean the best way to make a car shine like new?
• 5:22
  That's what I mean, Frank.
• 5:24
  By the way, did you ever have to rub down a horse, soap the hornest and shine the buggy?
• 5:29
  Now that there was real work.
• 5:31
  Well, now cleaning and polishing a car was real work too until they invented Johnson's car, New.
• 5:36
  Uh-huh.
• 5:37
  But there ain't no horse hair tail on that car that you've got to pull birds out of.
• 5:43
  Well, that's right, Diz.
• 5:44
  But there is road film on a car finish.
• 5:46
  Road film made up of exhaust fumes, tree sap, road oil, all kinds of things.
• 5:52
  And no amount of water will take it off.
• 5:54
  Now, car new not only cuts through that road film so that you can get your car beautifully cleaned.
• 5:59
  Car new also polishes your car till it shines like a blue ribbon trotter.
• 6:04
  Yes, men, right there you've got the important point about Johnson's car new.
• 6:08
  It contains five cleaning ingredients plus wax.
• 6:11
  So it cleans and polishes your car in one easy application.
• 6:16
  Just rub it on, let it dry to a white powder, then wipe it off.
• 6:20
  Your car is as clean as a tabletop and bright and shiny as a mirror.
• 6:24
  That's a kind of a car I like to roll down the main drag in, Frank.
• 6:28
  That's the kind of car we all like and we all get with Johnson's car new.
• 6:33
  So men, if you want to give your car a Sunday shine, if you want to do it in one easy application,
• 6:39
  ask at your service station or other dealer for Johnson's car new.
• 6:43
  That's C-A-R-N-U car new.
• 6:47
  And here's another letter before we finish with the mailbag department.
• 6:51
  Mr. Ralph Adams of Pasadena, California wants you to name Dizzy Dean's All-Star Big League team.
• 6:57
  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.
• 7:19
  And at second base, which wasn't so easy, I'll take old Frankie Frey.
• 7:23
  Frank could win a game for you all by himself.
• 7:26
  He'd be out and infield hit, steal second and third if he had to.
• 7:30
  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.
• 7:47
  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.
• 7:58
  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?
• 8:19
  Well, sounds like a great help to the pitcher, Diz.
• 8:21
  I don't think many would filter through that defensive line.
• 8:24
  Now how about your outfield?
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  I know I'm going to hear a lot of squawks on this department, Frank.
• 8:30
  Maybe we ought to drop the whole thing.
• 8:32
  Oh, no, no, no, no, Diz. Let's be brave about this. Let's have your outfield.
• 8:36
  All right. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musil.
• 8:40
  I know the first question will be, how about Ty Cobb?
• 8:43
  Well, I didn't see Ty Cobb and I didn't see Chris Beaker.
• 8:47
  But I have seen Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musil.
• 8:50
  And Babe Ruth should just couldn't be left off of nobody's ball club.
• 8:54
  Now, how about your catchers?
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  I'm going to pick two, Frank.
• 8:58
  With either one, I wouldn't need anybody else.
• 9:00
  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.
• 9:21
  Say, but you've named only left-handers Jerome.
• 9:24
  How about a good right-hander now?
• 9:26
  I just can't seem to think of any good right-hander, Frank.
• 9:29
  Well, I'll tell you what, I'll think for you, Dizzy.
• 9:31
  How about Jerome Herman Dean?
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  Do you think you could stand to have him on your team?
• 9:36
  Well, always did, Frank.
• 9:40
  Now, Dizzy Dean, how about you becoming the storyteller?
• 9:43
  I got a couple about umpires, Frank.
• 9:45
  Baseball fans seem to be interested in what goes on down on the ball field.
• 9:49
  Things that occasionally cause rouse between umpires and players.
• 9:52
  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.
• 10:00
  He had many a row of the boys in blue.
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  There was a time in Boston.
• 10:04
  We was playing the braze, and it did seem that a lot of close plays was going against us.
• 10:09
  But Frank was in pretty good humor that day, and he wasn't raising no fuss.
• 10:13
  Then all of a sudden, Larry Gitz gets red in the face and chases Frank off the field.
• 10:18
  Nobody could figure what had happened.
• 10:20
  Ah, but I'm sure Frisch regaled you with the details as he hid in the back of that dugout.
• 10:24
  He sure did. Gitz was calling them at first base while Frank was coaching over at third.
• 10:29
  Well, after the third or fourth close one called against us, Frank walked past Gitz on the way to our dugout.
• 10:35
  He stops and says, Gitz, it's a nice day, isn't it, Lawrence?
• 10:39
  And Gitz says, yes, Frank, a beautiful day.
• 10:42
  And Frank says, by the way, Lawrence, have you a cup of cigars in your pocket?
• 10:46
  And Gitz says, no, Frank, why would you think I'd have cigars in my pocket?
• 10:51
  And Frisch says, because, Lawrence, you look so much like a cigar store-ended.
• 10:56
  And Frisch got bounced just for that?
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  He sure did.
• 11:00
  Gitz didn't waste no time.
• 11:02
  That Frisch knew more ways of getting the umps mad.
• 11:05
  One day in Brooklyn, it was getting dark, and Frank thought the game ought to be called.
• 11:09
  You see, we was a run ahead.
• 11:11
  Anyhow, our pitcher got into a little trouble, and Frank sent the groundkeeper after a flash light
• 11:16
  and started down to the bullpen, flashing the light so he could find his way.
• 11:20
  Well, did Frank get bounced for that one?
• 11:22
  Yes, George Major Kirk showed Frank the way to the clubhouse that time.
• 11:26
  And another time, when Frank thought the game ought to be called on the count of rain,
• 11:30
  he got a big wagon umbrella and walked back and forth in front of the dugout, and he got bounced again.
• 11:36
  And yet, Gitz, they tell me Frisch and the umpires are the very best of friends.
• 11:40
  They are, Frank. You see, Frisch never gets vicious.
• 11:43
  It's all good, clean fun, and the umpires have to laugh, too.
• 11:47
  But of course, them umpires got dignity, and they got to protect that.
• 11:51
  Yes, and they have a job to do.
• 11:53
  That's right, Frank, just like everybody else in baseball.
• 11:56
  Like today, we was playing the Phillies at the Old Baker Bowl, late in September.
• 12:01
  The Phillies was down in last place, and we got off to an early lead.
• 12:04
  It wasn't much of a ball game, and the small crowd kept getting smaller and smaller.
• 12:09
  But we noticed one crowd of people down the right field stands, and they stayed inning after inning.
• 12:14
  Not one of them left the ballpark.
• 12:16
  Finally, we got curious, and I said, I'm going to the bullpen to warm up a little.
• 12:21
  And I'm going to find out what them people are staying to the finish of this ball game.
• 12:25
  So I go to the bullpen in the right field corner of the park,
• 12:28
  and when I pass the group that was sticking to the finish, I ask, how come
• 12:32
  that they should stay so faithfully with us, leading the Phillies 17-2?
• 12:37
  But they told me, dizzy, they said, we know this is a pretty bad ball game,
• 12:42
  and we'd like to go home like everybody else is doing, but we can't.
• 12:46
  You see, we're the ground crew.
• 12:48
  Well now, Diz, before your last job on this series of programs for Johnson's Carnew,
• 12:53
  dog gone, that's right, this is my last program for Carnar this summer.
• 12:58
  And we should say thank you for listening, and thanks for all them letters.
• 13:01
  And we hope we'll be back again for Carnew next summer.
• 13:04
  Stop, Frank, or you'll have me crying.
• 13:07
  I don't like to say goodbye.
• 13:08
  Neither do I, Diz, so before we sign off for the summer, let's have Dizzy dean the reporter
• 13:13
  give us the picture as you see it on the pennant races as they go into that final stretch.
• 13:18
  Well, Frank, one of the races is about over.
• 13:21
  The Braves have a comfortable lead, and Billy Southworth has put the job of protecting that lead
• 13:26
  into the hands of his two pitching stars.
• 13:28
  That's a smart move.
• 13:30
  Johnny Stain and Warren Spahn can do a little extra work till that flag is seen
• 13:35
  and then have time to rest before the World Series.
• 13:37
  All right, and how about the American lead, Diz?
• 13:40
  That may go right down to the wire, Frank, but the Yankees are within easiest striking distance.
• 13:45
  They may be some World Series games at Yankee Stadium in October.
• 13:49
  Watch them, Frank, if those Yankees ever get ahead, their red socks won't catch them again.
• 13:54
  Ah, those are words of wisdom, Jerome, words of wisdom indeed.
• 13:58
  Now, friends, before closing, just a brief rundown of Dizzy Dean's All-Star Team pick today.
• 14:04
  First base, Lou Gehrig, second, Frankie Frisch, shortstop, Lou Boudreau, third base, Pye Treanor,
• 14:10
  in the outfield, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Babe Ruth, the catchers, Gabby Hartnett and Jimmy Wilson,
• 14:16
  and the pitchers, Carl Hubble, Lefty Grove, and of course, the one and only Dizzy Dean.
• 14:22
  He's been brought to you by Johnson's Carnew, a wax-fortified auto-polish that cleans and polishes
• 14:27
  your car in one easy application. Rub it on and wipe it off, that's all there is to it.
• 14:33
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• 14:39
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• 14:46
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• 14:52
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• 14:59
  This is old Dears saying, good bye for now. I've had a lot of fun pitching my cross for Johnson's Carnew.
• 15:06
  This is Frank Eshin saying the same thing for the makers of Johnson's wax-fortified auto-polish Carnew.
• 15:14
  This program came to you from KSD St. Louis. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.