Dean played several years of baseball alongside his better-known brother,
Jay. Because of his brother's nickname, "Dizzy", Dean also had a nickname,
Daffy, but this did not reflect his personality as he was considered quiet and serious. The nickname was mainly a creation of the press. During his rookie season (at the age of 22), Dean pitched a
no-hitter on September 21, 1934, in the second game of a doubleheader against the
Brooklyn Dodgers. Dizzy (who had pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game) would say afterwards: "Shoot! If I'da known Paul was gonna pitch a no-hitter, I'da pitched me one, too." Paul finished the year with a 19–11 record to help St. Louis win the
National League pennant. Combined with his brother becoming the only NL pitcher in the
live-ball era to win 30 games, the brothers bettered Dizzy's prediction that "me 'n' Paul are gonna win 45 games" by four wins. In the
World Series, his brother and he won two games apiece, combining for a 4–1 record, 28
strikeouts, and a 1.43 ERA, as the Cardinals took the series against the
Detroit Tigers in seven games. The following year, Dean won 19 games again. He was injured, however, and pitched ineffectively for the rest of his career. Dean is featured prominently in some versions of
Abbott & Costello's "
Who's on First?" comedy sketch. In the sketch, Abbott is explaining to Costello that many ballplayers have unusual nicknames, including Dizzy Dean, his brother Daffy Dean, and their "French cousin Goo-fay Dean". The fictitious French cousin's name is
goofy pronounced with an exaggerated French accent. Dean served in the
United States Army during World War II. Dean died at age 68 in
Springdale, Arkansas, from a heart attack. In the 1952 biographical film about Dizzy Dean,
The Pride of St Louis, Paul was portrayed by actor
Richard Crenna. ==See also==