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Dizzy Dean 48-08-14 (07) Country Baseball Diamond
00:15:01
Dizzy Dean 48-08-14 (07) Country Baseball Diamond
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- [00:02]
Frank Eshin
Well, here he is again, folks. 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.
- [00:14]
Dizzy Dean
Howdy, everybody. Gather around you young baseball players, especially you city boys. I've got a story about kids in the baseball diamond. And I believe it's something that all you young fellows can learn a lesson from.
- [00:25]
Frank Eshin
Coach Dizzy Dean is going into action early today. I can see that. This is Frank Eshin to remind you that every Saturday at this time Dizzy Dean gives advice to baseball minded young Americans, answers letters, that's the mailbag department. Spins a few of his inimitable yarns about the great and the near great of the diamond and looks at the big league pennant races. And as a starter today, let's have your story for the youngsters. Coach Dean.
- [00:49]
Dizzy Dean
I got this idea just one week ago, Frank. I've been thinking about it a lot. Last Saturday, after our program for Johnson's car renew, I said to Pat, that's my wife, Mrs. Dean, must take a nice ride somewhere out in the country. I'd like to see a lot of trees and some hills.
- [01:04]
Frank Eshin
Ah, the great Dean had an urge to commune with nature, to visit pastoral scenes, eh?
- [01:09]
Dizzy Dean
Maybe what you're saying is true, Frank, but I wanted to. All I wanted was to get away from crowds in the hot city streets. Well, Pat said it would be all right for us to take a ride. The car was just as slick and shiny as any I hear you talking about. You see, I feel a responsibility now, and I guess you feel it too, Frank. We just gotta have shiny cars. Anyhow, we set out for a ride and I says, let's go out Highway 30. That's about as pretty a drive as I know in these here parts. So out Highway 30 we went. We left the concrete slab about 30 miles out and took a gravel road in Jepsen county out through the little town of Cedar Hill. It reminded me of the village in Switzerland.
- [01:50]
Frank Eshin
I didn't know you were such a man of travel, Diz. When were you in Switzerland?
- [01:54]
Dizzy Dean
I never said nothing about being in Switzerland. Switzerland, Frank. But ain't you never heard of moving pictures? Go to the movies, I say, and see the world.
- [02:02]
Frank Eshin
Okay, you win. Go on.
- [02:04]
Dizzy Dean
Well, it was just outside of Cedar Hill, Frank, that I got the idea for something to tell the young ball players about. We climb a hill, rounded a curve and went down in a kind of a valley. And there on the side of the road was a big open field. It was the Cedar Hill baseball field, Frank. Some young fellows had a farm tractor on the infield. And they were pulling a big drag. They had that infield smooth as a billiard table. And out on the outfield, there was another farm tractor pulling a mower. They had the weeds down slick as could be. You know, Frank, them country kids can learn us a thing or two. In the big cities, they got park baseball diamonds. And they're all ready when the kids show up for a ball game. But those country boys really love baseball. Here they was Saturday evening when most city kids would be getting ready to go skylocking. Manicuring that their baseball ammon. And mowing the outfield. So they have a nice smooth field to play their weekly ball games on. I couldn't help thinking what a grip this here game of baseball has on us, Frank.
- [03:03]
Frank Eshin
And those boys in the small towns really have something Diz don't. Most of the big league ball players come from the little towns, the farms and the mining country.
- [03:11]
Dizzy Dean
I guess that's because them country kids ain't afraid to work, Frank. You see, you can play baseball so much better on a slick. You'll like that. The bounces are more truer for the infielders. And the outfielders. Really got a lot of territory to roam in. And that Cedar Hill business gave me another thought, Frank. You know, there was a cornfield just beyond the baseball field. It wasn't crowding the ball field none. But what I mean is it was good, fertile land right there, close to the big river. But somebody who owned that land. Thought enough of kids and the kids right to play baseball. To pass up that much of his corn crop. So them kids could have their baseball diamond and their baseball. Frank, there's a lot of big cities that could take a lesson. From what I've seen at Cedar Hill. Why don't the cities provide more baseball diamonds for the youngsters, Frank?
- [03:56]
Frank Eshin
You're fighting for a good cause, Jerome. More power to that movement. For more baseball diamonds for the youngsters. But you've lapsed into another very serious mood. How about a quick change of pace, Diz? Right now. And an anecdote in the manner of Dizzy Dean, the storyteller.
- [04:11]
Dizzy Dean
Okay, Frank. And. And while we started out about kids. Let's go along with that same gentle ideal. You remember Babe Herman, don't you?
- [04:18]
Frank Eshin
Yes, indeed. And that sounds good. Babe Herman was good copy.
- [04:22]
Dizzy Dean
The Babe had traveled around quite a bit. But he was the same old Babe. He was playing in Cincinnati, and the Cardinals was playing the Reds. And before the game Babe's two children was outside the clubhouse. Babe was sure proud of them kids. He always was telling us how bright they was. So after shaking hands with the children and giving them freely off my autographs, and I said to Babe, babe, you always been bragging about how smart these kids are. How about a little demonstration for Pepper Martin and me right here now? Well, the Babe didn't know. Nothing he'd rather do than show off them kids. So he said to the younger one, honey, how many is six times two? And the youngster spoke real quick and said, Daddy, 14. And the babe says, not bad. Ain't dizzy. He's only one off. Well, Pepper Martin got a big laugh out of that. And he says, babe, them really are smart, intelligent children. But that old one seems to be old enough. Now, why don't you get him in a. In a sickle and sell encyclopedica? We all agree that it would be fine, Arty, But Babe Herman thinks it's over for a while. And then he says, no, Pepper, I don't want to spoil either of them kids. Let them walk to school like I did.
- [05:32]
Frank Eshin
A real colorful character, that Babe Herman.
- [05:35]
Dizzy Dean
He sure was Frank. I heard one story about him that made me my eyes pop out. That was back in the lean days of the Dean family. Before I hit the jackpot. Dave Herman showed up in training camp one spring. And while he was unpacking his trunk, he found a paycheck from the summer before that had been in the trunk all winter. Frank, it was hard for old is of them lean early days to figure how a man could be so rich that he just throw a paycheck into his trunk and forget all about it cashing it.
- [06:02]
Frank Eshin
Then you hit the jackpot, Diz. And I guess as you pitch those masterpieces against Carl Hubble, you too forgot about those checks occasionally.
- [06:10]
Dizzy Dean
Those games with the Giants were something. Frank, this is just a short story, and it's about that old favorite of mine, Pepper Martin. You know, we did have some great games with the Giants. And I guess one of the toughest hitters I ever faced was the manager of the ball club. I'm talking about Bill Terry. I always liked to pitch against Bill, even if he did make it kind of rough for me. One day I had him two strikes and nothing. Real quick I tried to sneak the next one through there. And Terry hit it right back through the box. A mile a minute, brother. He likes to took a leg off old daisies. And Pepper Martin was playing third base for us then. And while I was Getting ready to pitch to the next hitter. Pepper walks over to the mountain and he was really a grinning. He put up his hands so nobody else could hear it. And he says real serious, Jerome, I don't believe you're playing Terry deep enough.
- [06:58]
Frank Eshin
Say that Pepper Martin was really something, Diz. And here's something else that is really something.
- [07:03]
Dizzy Dean
You don't mean Johnson's car new, do you?
- [07:05]
Frank Eshin
That's just what I mean.
- [07:06]
Dizzy Dean
Tell him about it, Frankie boy.
- [07:08]
Frank Eshin
Well, men, when this program is over, take a good look at your car. Does the finish really sparkle, really shine the way you want it to? Now, I'm not suggesting that your car isn't clean. But you know as well as I do you can sponge your car till your arm feels like lead and still come out with a pretty dull looking finish. And the reason is usually road film. A road film composed of tree SAP, oil, exhaust fumes, a lot of different things. Water can't touch that film. But Johnson's Wax Fortified Carnue zips it away. And Carnue polishes your car too. Johnson's Carnue cleans and polishes your car in one easy application. You rub it on and the five cleaning ingredients in Carnu go to work. Penetrate road film in practically nothing flat. Then wipe it off and your car is polished as well as cleaned. Because Carnu is wax fortified. So why wear yourself out cleaning and polishing your car in the ordinary way today? Get some Johnson's Wax Fortified Carnue from your nearest dealer or service station. That is C A R N U Carnu. Might as well use it today. Might as well have a car with a bright, brilliant Sunday shine tomorrow. Now it's mailbag time, Diz. And here's a letter from Colonel Harry Taylor of Dublin, Georgia, who remembers you as a great pitcher who occasionally ran into unusual excitement on the baseball field. He says that as he remembers it, you had a fist fight once with Al Todd in the Texas League. And later with the entire New York Giant Ball Club at Sportsman's park here in St. Louis.
- [08:40]
Dizzy Dean
Glad to hear from Colonel Taylor, Frank. I played an exhibition game in Dublin one time. They got a real Southern hospitality down there in Georgia. And about them two fights, Frank, I guess I was overmatched in both of them.
- [08:52]
Frank Eshin
Sounds good. Let's have the story of an overmatched Dizzy Dean.
- [08:55]
Dizzy Dean
Well, that Todd story won't take long. Al got the idea one day that I was throwing at him just because he got a base hit. I didn't throw at him, Frank. Honest, I didn't or maybe I was trying to move him back from the plate just a little. Anyhow, Al got the idea I was throwing at him and he the next time up and he charges out to the mound. I figured I could out talk him, but he didn't say a word. I was waiting and I had a good wise quack to let him have. But he popped me without a word and I kept picking myself up and he kept knocking me down. Yes, I guess I was overmatched, Frank.
- [09:29]
Frank Eshin
An honest confession is good for the soldier of them. And now that rumpus with the Giants.
- [09:33]
Dizzy Dean
I guess Colonel Taylor must be referring to the famous row with the the day George Barr called a balk on old ears. Well, Frank, a lot of funny things happened that afternoon, but I didn't have no fight with nobody. I came in out that without swinging a fist and without getting a scratch, but both teams on the field swinging and it looked like a long time to get order restored. In the center of all the fussing and a feudin the two catchers, Gus Mancuso and Mickey Owen, had a little harmless wrestling match. Mickey figured everybody ought to take a man. He was a catcher. So he chose Mancuso, the Giants catcher, and said, gus, let's wrestle. Well, when they got everybody quiet, it looked up at Mancuso and Owen was the only ones caught doing anything for sure. So they was ordered out of the game. The only man hurt that day was the most peaceful guy on the field, little Don Guthridge. He didn't hit nobody, but somebody sure hit him. He came out the scrap with the most beautiful black eye I ever seen. What a shiner that was. Frankie Frisch, our dandy little manager, was furious when they put out Owen Fris said to umpire, bar, how about bouncing mel ot 2 what far? Barr wanted to know for hitting little Guthridge, Fresh told him. Barr said he hadn't seen nobody hit Guthridge and started to walk away. But Leo DeRosa tells Bar, Ain't you going to put Luke out of the game? What for? Says Bar. For hitting Guthridge, says the Rocher. Just then Bar ran into Jess Haynes and old Pop says, george, you aren't going to let Charles stay in the game, are you? And Barr says, Mr. Haynes, you're not going to tell me that Charles hit gathered? He sure did hit him. George Haynes insisted, just look at that eye. Bar did look at Guthrie's eye and he said afterward that the way it looked, maybe everybody on the Giant club had teed off on poor Little.
- [11:20]
Frank Eshin
Yeah, but Diz Isn't that one of those rare cases where anybody actually got hurt in a baseball donnybrook? I mean, usually it's largely a matter of exchanging words at any given number of paces. But seldom a blow landed.
- [11:32]
Dizzy Dean
That's right, Frank. In the excitement of a ball game, players will pop off and say things they really don't mean. Sometimes they'll even scrap among themselves on the bench or in the clubhouse. Especially in a tight pennant race with everybody pulling hard and so and the dough hanging on every play. Like the time we lost a tough ball game in New York. An outfielder and an infielder on the old Gas House gang got to jawing at each other when we got into the clubhouse. But the race was hot in the stretch and everybody was pretty well keyed up right then. They started swinging at each other. As soon as they got into the clubhouse, we all started to break it up. But manager Frankie Frisch had his own idy. He says, stand back, fellers. Give them room. Don't nobody interfere. So the outfielders and the infielders swung at each other. They couldn't hit their weight fighting, though. And ball players ain't trained for boxing. They soon got out of win, and you could see both was wanting to hear the bell. Then Frisk stepped in and asked real fancy if each one felt now that he had defended his honor satisfactorily. They both agreed, as they had. So Frisch made him put their arms around each other and then shake hands. You're both on the same team, see? Frankie told him. So fight the other fellows. From here on, don't fight amongst yourselves.
- [12:46]
Frank Eshin
Ah, better than average psychologist that fresh. Now, Mr. Dean, we come to the right and wrong part of the program. That is, how right and how wrong have you been in your prognostications? Let's look at that big league picture as it is today. Mr. Dean, the reporter.
- [13:01]
Dizzy Dean
Frank, I'm satisfied right now. If I can be just half right, the way those ball clubs are scrambling around. But let's forget the top of the pennant races for a while. I want to say something about a club down into second division of the American League. I'm talking about the St. Louis Browns.
- [13:16]
Frank Eshin
And what about the Browns? Make you select them for your spotlight, Professor Dean?
- [13:20]
Dizzy Dean
A couple of young ball players, Frank. Their names is Dick Cocas and Hank Arp. And they're giving the Browns a big lift. And they're going to help the Browns in more ways than one. Frank.
- [13:31]
Frank Eshin
Elucidate, Diz, elucidate.
- [13:32]
Dizzy Dean
It's this way, Frank. When a couple of young fellers get a chance in it, it attracts a lot of attention. The Browns brought Arp and Cocos up from Toledo. That's a great break for them kids, and it's good advertising for the Browns. Here's the way it works. Kids all over the country wanting to get ahead as fast as possible will hear about this and they'll say, them Browns is a club that is giving young fellows a chance right now. And so the young ball players will be looking for some brownish scout to show up.
- [13:59]
Frank Eshin
And folks, we hope you'll show up again at this same time next week to listen to Dizzy Dean. He's brought to you by Johnson's Car. New the Wax Fortified Auto polish that cleans and polishes your car in one easy application. Rub it on and Carnue cleans your car. Cuts through and carries away road film that water won't touch. Wipe it off and Carnu polishes your car. Remember to give your car a Sunday shine. Rub it on, wipe it off. That's all you do with Carnu.
- [14:29]
Dizzy Dean
And this is Old Diz. Hope all you folks on the stands this time next Saturday, I'll be pitching across again for Johnson's Carnue.
- [14:36]
Frank Eshin
This is Frank Ashen saying goodbye until next Saturday for the makers of Johnson's Wax Fortified Auto Polish, Carnu. This program came to you from KSD St. Louis. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.