MLB power rankings: Top 30 nicknames of all-time
By John Buhler
21. Jay Dean: Dizzy
The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals were known as the Gashouse Gang for the rugged appearance and the brash on-field antics. Most of the star players on the Gashouse Gang had funny nicknames, none more so than ace pitcher Dizzy Dean.
Dean was a fireballer that just talked about whatever non-stop. St. Louis would win the World Series that year and Dean would be one of the best pitchers in the Senior Circuit during the 1930s. His career was forever altered by having his big toe broken on a come-backer in the 1937 MLB All-Star Game.
Dean would try to overcompensate his pitching mechanics to offset an ailing toe. However, that would result in a shortened big league career. Dean would successfully transition to a lucrative career in the broadcast booth as a well-respected color commentator.
Basically, Dean was the baseball version of Terry Bradshaw during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s calling games for the Cardinals, the then St. Louis Browns and nationally for CBS. The grammar was rarely right with Dean, but he always kept baseball fans’ heads spinning on the mound and then in the booth.