1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #125 Paul Dean

Sunday, May 5, 2024

#125 Paul Dean - St. Louis Cardinals

Paul Dee Dean

St. Louis Cardinals

Pitcher

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 175
Born: August 14, 1912, Lucas, AR
Major League Teams: St. Louis Cardinals 1934-1939; New York Giants 1940-1941; St. Louis Browns 1943

World Series Appearances: St. Louis Cardinals 1934

Died: March 17, 1981, Springdale, AR (68)

The younger brother of Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean (#124), Paul Dean was given the nickname Daffy by the press, despite his relatively quiet demeanor. Dean was one of the best pitchers in the league his rookie and sophomore seasons, winning 19 games each year. Dean was 19-11 in 1934 with a 3.43 ERA and 16 complete games. In the second game of a double header on September 21, 1934 against the Dodgers, Dean pitched a no-hitter after Dizzy had thrown a three-hit shutout in the first game. The Dean brothers led the Cardinals to the World Series and an eventual Championship, recording all four wins needed to defeat the Tigers in seven games. He topped that output in 1935, going 19-12 with a 3.37 ERA and 19 complete games in a career high 269 2/3 innings pitched. The Dean brothers capitalized on their popularity with a traveling vaudeville act and even a Dizzy and Daffy short film with future Three Stooges member Shemp Howard.

Feeling the wear and tear of a non-stop schedule, Dean's arm was constantly ailing, and following his stellar 1935 season he'd never throw more than a 100 innings in a season. Dean hung on through 1943, having a brief resurgence with the Giants in 1940 when he pitched in 27 games and was 4-4. For his career, Dean was 50-34 with a 3.75 ERA in 159 games pitched.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price. These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #121, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

The back of the card alludes to Dean's troubles following the 1935 season. Likely exhausted from his barmstorming tours with his brother, not receiving proper care for what was a serious arm injury, and reporting to spring training heavier than usual in 1936, all contributed to the gradual end of his baseball dominance.

1936 Season

This was the beginning of the end for Dean. His shoulder injury now diagnosed as a pulled tendon, Dean was essentially shut down for the season by mid-June, making only three appearances in July and August. He was 5-5 for the season with a 4.60 ERA in 17 games pitched, throwing five complete games. Only 23 years old at the start of the season, Dean requested voluntary retirement on August 25th, returning to his farm in Texas to rest.