Dazzy Vance (1955)


Date of Birth: 3/4/1891
Date of Death: 2/11/1961
Birthplace: Orient, Iowa

Dazzy Vance played semi-pro baseball in Nebraska prior to signing with a minor league team in the Nebraska State League in 1912. He played in that league through 1914. In 1915, the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract and he played in one game with them before they sold the contract to the New York Yankees in April of that year. He played in eight games with the Yankees in 1915.

From 1915 through 1917, Vance played in the Western League, the American Association, and the Southern Association. In 1918, he played again with the Yankees, but only in two games. His contract was sold to the Pacific Coast League in December, 1919, and he played in that league for just one year. He didn't play professional baseball in 1920, and in 1921, he returned to the Southern Association.

Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers

The Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers bought Vance's contract in 1922, when he was 31 years old. That season, he pitched in 36 games with the Dodgers. He had an 18-12 record with 134 strikeouts to 94 walks and a 3.70 ERA. He led the NL in strikeouts in 1922 and 1923. He had 18 wins and 15 losses, 197 strikeouts to 100 walks, and a 3.50 ERA in 280.1 innings in 37 games in 1923.

Vance's best season was probably 1924, when he won the National League Triple Crown for pitchers. That season he had a 28-6 record with 262 strikeouts to 77 walks and a 2.16 ERA in 35 games. He led the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and complete games (30).

On September 13, 1925, Vance had the only no-hitter of his career. That year, he led the NL in wins with 22 (to 9 losses) and strikeouts with 221 (to 66 walks). He had a 3.53 ERA in 265.1 innings in 31 games.

Vance continued to lead the NL in strikeouts in 1926, 1927, and 1928. He finished the 1926 season with 9 wins and 10 losses, 140 strikeouts to 58 walks, and a 3.89 ERA. The following year, he had 184 strikeouts to 69 walks, a 16-15 win-loss record, and a 2.70 ERA. He pitched a league leading 25 complete games. In 1928, he had a career low ERA of 2.09, 22 wins and 10 losses, and 200 strikeouts to 72 walks in a career high 38 games. He led the NL in ERA and strikeouts that season.

Vance led the NL in ERA in 1930. He had 17 wins and 15 losses, 173 strikeouts to 55 walks, and a 2.61 ERA in 35 games. The following season, his ERA went up to 3.38, and in 1932, he finished with a 4.20 ERA.

Final Years as a Player

Vance moved to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1933, playing in 28 games for them with a 6-2 record, 67 strikeouts to 28 walks, and a 3.55 ERA. The following season he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. After six games with the Reds in 1934, Vance was traded back to the Cardinals. He played in 6 games with the Reds and 19 games with the Cardinals in 1934, and he had a 4.56 ERA in 77.0 innings. He was a starting pitcher in just 6 of those games.

Vance returned to the Dodgers in 1935, his last season in the major leagues. He pitched in 20 games in his final season and he finished with a 4.41 ERA in 51.0 innings.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Triple Crown
  • Led the NL in ERA (3 times)
  • Led the NL in wins (2 times)
  • Led the NL in strikeouts (7 times)
  • Led the NL in complete games (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Vance in 14 seasons (1922-1935) in the major leagues include:

  • 3 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 28 in 1924
  • 7 seasons with 150 or more strikeouts, with a high of 262 in 1924
  • 4 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.09 in 1928

Career pitching statistics for Vance include:

  • 442 games played
  • 2,966.2 innings pitched
  • 197-140 win-loss record
  • 2,045 strikeouts to 840 walks
  • 3.24 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a player, Vance joined the Dodgers for old-timers games.

Vance died on February 11, 1961 from a heart attack.

Vance was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955 on the sixteenth ballot with 81.7% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Dazzy Vance
ESPN - Dazzy Vance
Baseball Reference - Dazzy Vance

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