Books and articles about Dazzy Vance

The late-blooming Vance was the dominant strikeout pitcher of the 1920s, leading the National League a record seven consecutive times (1922-28). His nickname was fitting; a charter member of the carousing "Daffiness Boys," he led his Dodger teammates virtually everywhere but to a pennant. Vance was one of the three Dodger runners to wind up on third base at the same time when Babe Herman "tripled" into a double play (it was actually scored a double). Vance, starting from second base, ran much more cautiously than the runners behind him expected, returning to third base after rounding the bag.

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A 6'2" 200-lb fireballer, Vance burned out his arm pitching ten years in the minors. He would break in impressively with one club after another, only to have his arm tire by mid-season. His great starts earned him one game with the Pirates in 1915, and trials with the Yankees in 1915 and 1918. He pitched poorly each time and was returned to the minors. An arm operation, and a manager in New Orleans who allowed him to start on four days' rest instead of three, proved the cure. Vance went 21-11 in the Southern League in 1921 and was bought by the Dodgers at the insistence of scout Larry Sutton. Owner Charlie Ebbets actually wanted Vance's New Orleans batterymate, defensive catcher Hank DeBerry, and had to take Vance as part of a package.

Vance, starting every fifth day, won the first of his seven strikeout titles as a 31-year-old rookie in 1922. He often led by wide margins; in 1924, he fanned nearly twice as many as his nearest competitor. His style was unique and fearsome. He would rear back - the ball tiny in his huge, red-flecked hand - kick his leg high, waggle his foot, and catapult the ball toward the intimidated hitter. After living and dying by the fastball for a decade in the minors, he added an outstanding curveball. In a flamboyant touch of distracting showmanship, he wore a red undershirt with the sleeves sliced into twirling ribbons, making his delivery even more disconcerting. The tatters were subsequently outlawed.

In 1924, Vance topped the league with a 2.16 ERA and career highs of 28 wins, 262 strikeouts, and 30 complete games. He had only six losses. The Dodgers fell one win short of the first-place Giants, the closest Vance ever came to a pennant in Brooklyn. He was named NL MVP over Rogers Hornsby, who batted .424.

Vance led the league in wins a second time in 1925, with 22. That September 13, he no-hit Philadelphia 10-1, walking one and striking out nine. The Dodgers committed three errors. He won 22 again in 1928 with a league-best 2.09 ERA, and he earned a final ERA title in 1930 (2.61). After going 12-11 at age forty-one, he was traded to the Cardinals in 1933, where Dazzy joined Dizzy and Daffy Dean. Though sold to the Reds in 1934, Vance was waived back to St. Louis in time to earn a World Series ring. He finished up with Brooklyn as a reliever in 1935.

During his career, Vance tied for the NL lead in shutouts four times, compiling a total of 30. He struck out 2,045 batters and walked only 840. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955 by the BBWAA. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 13, 1922: Dazzy Vance, 31, makes his Brooklyn debut and loses to the Giants' Phil Douglas 4–3. In 1915 when Vance made one start for the Pirates, it was Douglas who beat him. Since then Vance has been in the minors. Despite his late start, the six foot two inch righthander will win 197 in 14 years and a place in the Hall of Fame in 1955. » May 13, 1923: Chicago's Pete Alexander beat Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance, 5–2. For Alexander, it is his 6th straight game without walking a batter since the season's start. He'll walk three in his next outing, ending his streak at 52 straight innings. » June 17, 1923: Reds IF Sammy Bohne spoils Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance's no-hitter with a ninth inning 2-out single. » August 17, 1923: The Cardinals stop Dazzy Vance after 10 straight wins 8-5. » August 1, 1924: Dazzy Vance strikes out seven Cubs in a row in a 4-0 win for the Dodgers. Vance will lead NL pitchers with 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, 30 complete games, and 262 strikeouts, as rare a triple crown for a pitcher as the batting version. With Burleigh Grimes's 22-13, Zack Wheat's .375, and Jack Fournier's league-leading 27 HR, the Dodgers will nip at the Giants' heels all season and finish just 1 1/2 games back. » September 4, 1924: Dazzy Vance chalks up his 12th straight win, and 24th on the year, beating the Braves, 4–1. it's also the Robins' 12th straight win. Dutch Ruether then wins the nitecap, 9–1, giving Brooklyn a National League-record four doubleheader sweeps in four days. The Phils were swept for six straight on September 1, 2, and 3. » September 9, 1924: At the Polo Grounds, Brooklyn ace Dazzy Vance wins his 13th in a row, beating the Giants and pulling the Robins within a half game of the top. » September 13, 1924: Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance shuts out the Reds, 2–0, for his 14th win in a row. » September 28, 1924: Dazzy Vance fires a 5-hitter at the Phillies, beating them 5–1, for his 28th win. He strikes out 9, including five in a row, to run his season total to 277. Vance will win the MVP over Rogers Hornsby and his .424 average. One sportswriter, Jack Ryder, will leave the cranky Hornsby off all 10 spots on his ballot. Vance also wins a preseason bet with Brooklyn teammate Jack Fournier. He bet that he would win more games than Fournier would hit home runs; the first sacker tops the National League in round trippers with 27. » July 20, 1925: Dazzy Vance fans 17 in a 10-inning 4-3 Dodger win over the Cubs. » September 8, 1925: In the first game of a doubleheader, Dazzy Vance tosses a one-hitter over the Phils to give Brooklyn a 1–0 win. The Dodgers complete the sweep with a 4–3 game two win. » September 13, 1925: Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance narrowly misses back-to-back no-hitters over Philadelphia, pitching a 10–1 no-hitter five days after a 1–0 one-hitter. The Phils' lone run is scored by Chicken Hawks, who reaches 2B on an error. Five days earlier it was Hawks' 2nd- inning single that ruined Vance's no-hitter. On June 17, 1923, Vance lost a no-hitter with two out in the 9th. In the 2nd game, the Phils win, 7–3, behind Chicken Hawks' grand slam. » December 9, 1925: Cards' player-manager Rogers Hornsby is named the MVP in the National League, gathering 73 out of a possible 80 votes. Hornsby was runnerup in 1924 to Dazzy Vance. Other strong contenders are Kiki Cuyler, the Pirates top hitter at .357; the Giants' George Kelly; Pirates' SS Glenn Wright; Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance; and Dave Bancroft, who hit .319 and topped NL shortstops in fielding average while managing the 5th-place Braves. » August 15, 1926: The Braves are at Ebbets Field with Brooklyn's Hank DeBerry on 3B, Dazzy Vance on 2B, and Chick Fewster on 1B. Babe Herman drives the ball against the RF wall, and DeBerry scores. Vance holds up, then rounds 3B headed for home. Fewster stops at 3B. The RF throws home and traps Vance, who heads back to 3B. Herman slides into 3B as Fewster steps off. Herman is out for passing a base runner. Fewster, thinking he's out, too, walks off with Babe, and gets tagged out. Vance, still on 3B, later admits it was his fault, but Herman, who doubles into a double play, gets the blame. » May 12, 1927: Brooklyn P Dazzy Vance collects four hits and holds the Reds to the same number, all doubles, and Brooklyn wins 6–3. The Robins last run comes on a clean steal of home by Max Carey. » July 22, 1927: Red Lucas of the Reds pitches a 3-0 one-hitter against Dazzy Vance and the Dodgers. The "hit" is a sixth-inning grounder by Hank DeBerry which goes between the legs of Cincinnati 2B Hughie Critz. » September 4, 1928: With yesterday's Labor Day DH rained out, the Braves will play a record nine consecutive doubleheaders between now and the 15th: Brooklyn today and the 5th; Philadelphia on the 7th and 8th; New York on the 10th, 11th, 13th, and 14th; and the Cubs on the 15th. Starting with the Phils on the 8th, they will lose five of them in a row—a record, including all four to the Giants. They start the streak by dropping both games today to Brooklyn: the Robins win the opener, 3–2, behind Jake Flowers 10th-inning homer for Dazzy Vance's 19th win; Brooklyn takes the nitecap, 9–2, as Babe Herman and Del Bissonette wallop 4th-inning homers. » September 9, 1928: At Ebbets Field, the Robins come from behind to edge the Giants, 3–2, behind Dazzy Vance. Harvey Hendrick dinks a 2-run homer in the 8th, off Larry Benton, to tie, and Jake Flowers singles with two out in the 9th to drive home the winner. The ecstatic fans respond by covering the field with straw hats. » September 26, 1928: The Cardinals lose to Brooklyn, 6–1, but still hold a half-game lead over New York. Dazzy Vance sets down the Mound Citymen on five hits and strikes out seven to beat Mitchell. » August 2, 1929: At St. Louis, the Cards bomb Dazzy Vance for 18 hits and 13 runs in his six inning stint, before Uncle Robby mercifully removes him. As the Dazzler leaves, the band plays, "the old grey mare ain't what she used to be." Six of the blows are for extra bases, including Jim Bottomley's 24th homer, as Sunny Jim knocks in five runs. Mitchell coasts home with the win for the Cards. » August 3, 1929: The Cubs complain about the ragged shirt sleeve on Dodger Dazzy Vance's pitching arm, an age-old trick to distract a batter. A rule will be passed enforcing neater dressing habits by pitchers. For the second day in a row, Vance has not much more than a sleeve as the Cubs pound Brooklyn, 12–2, behind Hal Carlson. » May 6, 1930: The Cubs top the Dodgers, 3–1, with Sheriff Blake outgunning Dazzy Vance. » May 31, 1930: The Phillies top the first place Robins, 3–1, defeating Dazzy Vance. Vance is lifted for a pinch hitter with Brooklyn down, 2–1. » August 12, 1930: With 40,000 fans on hand at Wrigley Field, Dazzy Vance gives up 14 hits and walks four but strands 16 Cubs runners. With the game tied, 2–2, in the 11th Riggs Stephenson bounces a single to drive in the winning run. Brooklyn loads the bases in both the 9th and 10th but comes up dry; in the 8th Brooklyn adds up a triple by Babe Herman, a walk to Dale Bissonette, and an Al Lopez single for zero runs. » August 22, 1930: Dazzy Vance is given little support against the Reds. Pitcher Red Lucas' fly ball in the 8th is misjudged and two runs score, and Brooklyn loses, 4–1. » August 28, 1930: Brooklyn beats up on Giants ace Carl Hubbell, scoring seven runs in the 6th inning, enroute to a win, 8–7. Dazzy Vance is the victor. » September 16, 1930: Brooklyn's collapse begins. The Cardinals tie for first place when Bill Hallahan outduels Dazzy Vance 1-0 in 10 innings. » May 21, 1931: Dazzy Vance is knocked cold by a line drive while leading the Phillies 3–2 with two outs in the 9th inning. Jack Quinn gets the last out for Brooklyn. » February 9, 1933: Dodger pitching ace Dazzy Vance is traded to the Cardinals with infielder Gordon Slade for Owen Carroll and Jake Flowers. » February 6, 1934: The Reds purchase 43-year-old Dazzy Vance, 6–2 last season, from the Cards. But there is no fire left in Vance's arm, and he will be waived back to St. Louis in mid-season. » June 25, 1934: The Reds waive Dazzy Vance to the Cards. » July 22, 1934: Dazzy Vance's last hurrah? He wins the last complete game he will ever pitch and notches his 2,000th strikeout to beat the Braves 4-2 for the Cardinals. » March 29, 1935: The Cardinals release Dazzy Vance, who returns to Brooklyn for his final season. » January 21, 1953: The Hall of Fame passes over Joe DiMaggio in his first year of eligibility and elects P Dizzy Dean and OF Al Simmons to Cooperstown. Dean gathers 209 votes while Simmons' total of 199 is one more than needed. Also joining DiMag, who finished 8th in the voting, are in order Bill Terry, Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, Dazzy Vance, Ted Lyons, Chief Bender (9th) and Gabby Hartnett (10th). All will eventually make it. » June 30, 1962: With the aid of 13 strikeouts and a Frank Howard home run, Sandy Koufax no-hits Bob Miller and the Mets 5–0 in Los Angeles. Sandy starts off the game by fanning the side on nine pitches in the first inning, the first National League pitcher to strike out the side on nine pitches since Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance, in 1924.