Charles
Dazzy
Vance became known as the strike out king after leading the National League in strikeouts seven years in a row. Dazzy mesmerized opposing hitters with a blazing fastball, off-the-tabletop curve, a high leg kick and a sleeve on the undershirt of his pitching arm with slits cut into it that would flutter and distract batters as he delivered the pitch. Although this famed baseball pitcher started with his rookie year at age 31, he retired at age 44 without achieving his goal of winning 200 games. He finished his career with 197 victories. In 1955, he became the first Brooklyn Dodgers player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This biography covers the life of Vance, including the Major League Hall of Fame career and his personal life off the diamond. Also included is a list of Dazzy’s lifetime statistics, from 1915 through 1935, containing his 1934 World Series Game. Conversations held with family, friends, sports writers and teammates are quoted throughout this biography.