2021 National Pickup - Dizzy Dean Signed Baseball

The main reason I even looked at this ball at the National was because I missed out on another ball from the same seller that was signed by Dizzy Dean.  I had talked with Andrew as we walked around the show the first day about how it would be nice to cross Dizzy Dean off of my list.  I had seen a ball for a good price that was signed by Dean, Sandy Koufax and Pee Wee Reese.  I made a note of where it was, and watched it for a few days.  When I was ready to pull the trigger on the ball, I went to where I saw it, and the ball had sold.  The seller then showed me this one, signed by Dean, and the two other guys I needed.  It was a bit more, but I had knocked some credit cards down over the COVID lockdowns, and had a little room to spend.  So, I wouldn't let this one get away.

Dean (b. 1910 - d. 1974) played in the majors in 1930, from 1932 to 1941 and 1947 for the Cardinals, Cubs and Browns.  He had a career record of 150-83 with 1,163 strike outs and a 3.02 ERA.  He led the league in wins in 1934 (30) and 1935 (28) and strikeouts from 1932 to 1935 (191, 199, 195, and 190, respectively).  He was the NL MVP in 1934 and finished second in the NL MVP voting in 1935 and 1936.  He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 1934.  He also was a 4-time All Star (1934 to 1937).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953, after appearing on 11 various ballots.

Dizzy Dean died in 1974 from a heart attack.  He is my 157th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

Thoughts on 2012 Panini Golden Age

I went to the local card shop today to pick up some team bags for a project Ryan and I will be working on this weekend and I just couldn't get out of there without buying some packs.  So, I picked up a pack of Bowman Platinum and Bowman Chrome.  I also was intrigued by a product I hadn't heard of before, 2012 Panini Golden Age.  I was a fan of Panini Cooperstown when it came out, so I figured I'd give this a shot and picked up 2 packs.

Golden Age features a retro theme (I feel like it is much like Topps 206 or Gypsy Queen) with an assortment of older ball players as well as other celebrities, etc.  Kind of Panini's answer to Allen and Ginter or UD Goodwin.  I was very happy when the last card in the second pack was Brooks Robinson.  So, right away, I had something to add to my PC.  Scored some points in my mind, haha.  The Brooks was the above Stand UP insert.  I love the sepia tone on the card.  Really sharp, and nice looking, in my opinion.

The above Dizzy Dean was a nice base card that I pulled.  I also pulled two mini cards, Eddie Cicotte (Croft Candies back) and Russell Johnson (who?) (Broad Leaf Tobacco back).  Always a good day when you pull a Dizzy Dean card.  I feel like there isn't enough Dean stuff.

Finally I got this moustache/chest hair card of Tom Selleck, er, I mean Thurman Munson.  He kind of looks like Magnum P. I. or John C. Reilly.  I always enjoy pulling a Munson card, though.

In my opinion, I think Panini is doing a great job with their products.  I loved Cooperstown and I definitely like Golden Age.  I'm not too big on the non-sports folks in the product, but again, this seems to be Panini's answer to Allen and Ginter or UD Goodwin.  Golden Age stacks up very well to Goodwin, that's for sure.  I've always been partial to Topps and A&G, but I do believe there is room in the MLB licensing wars for two brands and I would definitely not have a problem with Panini joining the fray.

Hall of Fame Spotlight - Dizzy Dean

Photo is from www.baseballhall.org

Dizzy Dean was born Jay Hanna Dean on January 16, 1910 in Lucas, Arkansas.  He pitched for the Cardinals, Cubs and Browns in a career that spanned from 1930, 1932-1941 and 1947.  He had a career record of 150-83 with 1,163 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.02.  Here are some more of Dean's accomplishments:

• Won 20 games or more in 4 straight seasons (1933, 34, 35 and 36)
• Won 30 games (and was the last NL pitcher to win 30 games) in 1934
• Led the NL in wins in 1934 (30) and 1935 (28)
• Led the league in strikeouts for 4 straight seasons (1932, 33, 34 and 35)
• Led the league in shutouts twice (1932 with 4 and 1934 with 7)
• 1934 NL MVP
• Won the World Series in 1934 with the St. Louis Cardinals as a member of the fabled 'Gashouse Gang'

Dean injured his toe during the 1937 All Star game.  When he changed his delivery to try to avoid some of the pain, his mechanics were altered, resulting in an arm injury from which he would never recover.  He was out of the game after he turned 31 (1941), only to return for one game for the Browns in 1947.

After his playing career was over, Dean would go on to become a successful commentator.  He was known for butchering the English language, but this quality is what endeared him to fans.

Dean died of a heart attack at the age of 64 in 1974.

Dean is one of those legendary players from the 1930s who definitely deserves his spot in the Hall.  He is probably most similar to Sandy Koufax in that he didn't pitch for very long, but during a 5-year stretch, he was unstoppable...

Dizzy Dean signed memorabilia can be very expensive.  Signed post cards are selling for around $300.00 while signed baseballs can go anywhere from around $800 to $5,000.