This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/11/2001.
Dizzy Dean was the perfect "pitch"-man for the United States Army in its World War II recruiting drives, since it was his pitching while he was in the Army that led big league scouts to take notice of his incredible talents. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, Jerome "Dizzy" Dean enlisted when he was 16. In 1930, he went right from Fort Sam Houston to the St. Louis Cardinals, and that is where he would stay for eight brilliant seasons, leading the National League in strikeouts four times and winning 30 games and the MVP award in 1934. His career record was 150-83. After he retied in 1941 (he tried a brief comeback in ‘47), Dean's down-home story-telling, his fractured English and his warbling of "The Wabash Cannonball" kept fans entertained as a baseball commentator. In 1953, he was elected to the Hall of Fame. The 11" x11 ½" poster, mounted on a black background, features an illustration of Dean under the words "The Army Trained Him." Excellent condition, with minor scratches.