Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-12
SPORTS PARADE
BY HENRY McLEMORE

NEW YORK, Sept. II. (UP-A
busher up from Tulsa has made
good with the Cubs
Thrown in against the tough
Brooklyn Dodgers and the tougher
Brooklyn fans in his first start
since leaving the Texas league, the
big fellow pitched a six-nitter to
win, to 2.
He wasn't afraid of Ducky Med
wick, Babe Phelps Dixie Walker or
any of the other Brooklyn sluggers.
And the raucous, cruel jeers of the
toughest crowd in baseball might
Just as we'll have been spoken in a
language he didn't understand, for
all the difference it seemed to make
to him.
Because the busher who made
good at Ebbets Field yesterday was
Dizzy Dean, once Of the majors, late
of the minors. For one day at least
he experienced the thrill of walk
ing the very last foot of the come
back trail, and of once more step
ping into the sun, be it only SUM-
set.
The Dean of yesterday was hardly
recognizable to those fans who came
out expecting to see the same old
Dizzy, with his arrogance, clown
ing, and jesting manner. He warmed
up before the game without so
much as a glance at the stands,
and once he started working he
concentrated on every pitch as tho
it were going to be his last one on
earth. He was slow, cautious and
often stopped to study the signals.
The big crowd, absolutely devoid
of sentiment as only Brooklyn
crowd could be expected to be, rode
him numerically for the full nine
innings. | watched the game from
the stands, not the press box, and
from every side of me continual
taunts were hurled at the aging
athlete trying to regain a bit of
his past glory.
When the arm that useG to be
so accurate would walk a man,
down from the stands would come
the shout Back to Tulsa, you bum."
When the big right arm that used
to fog 'em" through would float
a nothing" ball up the plate, the
kindly Brooklynites would shout
Me and my brudder, Paul, we're
great guys amt wei"
When Dizzy was reached for hit
chorus would deprecate, KNOCK
the busher out, boys, knock it down
his throat"
But the innings kept coming and
going and they didn't knock 1t
down his throat. Dizzy'S arm isn't
what it once was, but it's a whole
lot better than when the Cubs sent
him down to Texas. His motion is
much more free now, and when he
gets in a tight spot he can dish up
fast ball that would pass for a
fast ball in almost any company.
And there is nothing wrong with
either his head or his heart.
He knows how TO pitch. He does
MT give the hitters many good balls
TO hit. He's always slipping across
the corners, and mixing EN- up.
And the clutch doesn't find him
wanting. In the sixth inning, with
the bases loaded and two down, he
silenced the crowd by striking out
Coscarart.
He was an unbelievably subdued
Dean, even when he walked into
the clubhouse. He was one of the
last players TO reach the dressing
room and his only show Of feeling
came when he tossed his glove above
his head and called out "Thankya
fellers. Thankya. Thanks, all OF
you"
He started throwing things in his
travelling case, but in twos and
threes the Cubs interrupted him to
shake his hand, pat him on the
back, and tell him he pitched
hellupaa game.
That was a good one TO win,"
Dizzy told me. "A mighty good one.
Yeah, I had pretty good stuff. Nav,
I didn't get tired. Even IN the ninth
there wasn't any ache in my arm.
1t felt good and loose
Then oil Diz pulled off his clothes
and started singing in the shower,