On February 9, 1933, the Brooklyn Dodgers traded ace pitcher Dazzy Vance to the St. Louis Cardinals alongside infielder Gordon Slade.
In shipping off their veteran starter, they received Ownie Carroll and Jake Flowers. Vance had wrapped up his 11th season with the Dodgers, going 12-11 with a 4.20 ERA, 3.35 FIP and a 1.29 WHIP over 175.2 innings pitched.
Starting in 1922, Vance led the National League in punchouts for seven straight years, twice leading in wins and three times with ERA.
In his career with the Dodgers, he made 328 starts with a 190-131 record and a 3.17 ERA. During his MVP season in 1924, he went 28-6 with a 2.16 ERA with 30 complete games.
After being traded to the Cardinals, it was clear that his best pitching days were in the past. Only logging 99 innings in 1933, he went 6-2 with a 3.55 ERA, only lasting one season with St. Louis.
A quick stop with the Cincinnati Reds ended in a reunion with the Cardinals to finish out the 1934 season.
Vance returned to the Dodgers in 1935, where he would amass a 4.41 ERA in 20 games as a reliever in his age-44 season.
Over his 12 years with the Dodgers, he posted a 3.17 ERA in 2,757.2 innings with 1,918 strikeouts. He finished his career with 16 years pitched, also spending time with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
He was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
Despite his selection into the Hall of Fame, the Dodgers have not added him to the Ring of Honor with the other former Dodgers who earned the selection to Cooperstown.
Dazzy Vance career accolades
Aside from being a Hall of Fame player, Vance also won the pitching Triple Crown in his 1924 MVP season.
Vance also won his one and only World Series with the Cardinals in 1934, when the “Gashouse Gang” defeated the Detroit Tigers in seven games. It was their third championship in eight years.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
