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{{Short description|American baseball player (1891–1961)}}

'''Clarence Arthur "Dazzy" Vance''' ([[March 4]], [[1891]] - [[February 16]], [[1961]]) was a star [[Major League Baseball]] [[starting pitcher|pitcher]] during the [[1920s]].

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2017}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Dazzy Vance

|image=Dazzy Vance 1922.jpeg

|caption=Vance in 1922

|position=[[Pitcher]]

|birth_date={{Birth date|1891|3|4}}

|birth_place=[[Orient, Iowa]], U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1961|2|16|1891|3|4}}

|death_place=[[Homosassa Springs, Florida]], U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 16

|debutyear=1915

|debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=August 14

|finalyear=1935

|finalteam=Brooklyn Dodgers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]

|stat1value=197–140

|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]

|stat2value=3.24

|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s

|stat3value=2,045

|teams=

*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1915}})

*[[New York Yankees]] ({{mlby|1915}}, {{mlby|1918}})

*[[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1922}}–{{mlby|1932}})

*[[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1933}})

*[[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1934}})

*[[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1934}})

*[[Brooklyn Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1935}})

|highlights=

*[[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1934}})

* [[NL MVP]] (1924)

* [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1924)

* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|MLB wins leader]] (1924, 1925)

* 3× [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|NL ERA leader]] (1924, 1928, 1930)

* 7× [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|NL strikeout leader]] (1922–1928)

*Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 13, 1925

|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

|hoftype = National

|hofdate = [[1955 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1955]]

|hofvote = 81.7% (16th ballot)

}}

[[File:Dazzyvance1933Goudey.jpg|thumb|

1933 Goudey Baseball Card of Dazzy Vance #2

]]

'''Charles Arthur''' "'''Dazzy'''" '''Vance''' (March 4, 1891 – February 16, 1961) was an American professional [[baseball]] player.<ref name="Dazzy Vance statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vanceda01.shtml |title=Dazzy Vance statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=January 3, 2012}}</ref> He played as a [[pitcher]] for five different franchises in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) in a career that spanned 16 seasons over 21 years. A [[late bloomer]], Vance pitched his first full season in 1922 at age 31 and, aided by his impressive [[fastball]], became the only pitcher to lead the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in [[strikeout]]s for seven consecutive seasons.<ref name="Dazzy Vance at the Baseball Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/vance-dazzy |title=Dazzy Vance at the Baseball Hall of Fame |publisher=baseballhall.org |access-date=January 11, 2012}}</ref> Vance was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1955 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1955]].<ref name="Dazzy Vance at the Baseball Hall of Fame"/>

==Early life==

Born in [[Orient, Iowa|Orient]], [[Iowa]], Vance played a decade in the minors before establishing himself as a big league player in [[1922 in sports|1922]] with the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] at the age of 31, when he went 18-12 with a 3.70 [[earned run average|ERA]] and a league-leading 134 [[strikeout]]s. His best individual season came in [[1924 in sports|1924]], when he led the [[National League]] in wins (28), strikeouts (262) and ERA (2.16) (see [[Triple crown (baseball)|Triple crown]]) en route to winning the National League [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|MVP award]].

Born in [[Orient, Iowa]], Vance spent most of his childhood in Nebraska. He played semipro baseball there, then signed on with a [[minor league baseball]] team out of [[Red Cloud, Nebraska]], a member of the [[Nebraska State League]], in 1912. After pitching for two other Nebraska State League teams in 1913 (Superior) and 1914 ([[Hastings Giants]]), Vance made a brief major league debut with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in 1915 and appeared with the [[New York Yankees]] that year as well.<ref name=Lieb/> However, it took several years before he established himself as a major league player.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Dazzy Vance">{{cite web|url=http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=3978&pid=14539|title=The Baseball Biography Project: Dazzy Vance|last=Faber|first=Charles|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=January 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=vance-001cla|title = Dazzy Vance Minor Leagues Statistics & History}}</ref>

Vance was discovered to have an arm injury in 1916 and was given medical treatment. He continued to work on his pitching in the minor leagues, appearing with teams in [[Columbus, Ohio]]; [[Toledo, Ohio]]; [[Memphis, Tennessee]]; [[Rochester, New York]]; and [[Sacramento, California]]. Vance reappeared in the major leagues only once for the Yankees, pitching two games in 1918. Vance said he was suddenly able to throw hard again in 1921 while pitching for the [[New Orleans Pelicans (baseball)|New Orleans Pelicans]] of the [[Southern Association]]: he struck out 163 batters and finished the season with a 21–11 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]].<ref name=Lieb/> The Pelicans sold his contract to the Brooklyn Robins in [[1922 Brooklyn Robins season|1922]].<ref name="Hall Of Fame Choices">{{cite news |title=Hall Of Fame Choices |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=January 27, 1955 |access-date=January 11, 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kSgjAAAAIBAJ&pg=5603,3324652&dq=hank+deberry&hl=en}}</ref> The Robins wanted to acquire catcher [[Hank DeBerry]], but the Pelicans refused to complete the deal unless Vance was included in the transaction.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Dazzy Vance"/><ref name="Hall Of Fame Choices"/>

{{MLB HoF}}

Vance's play began to decline in the early [[1930s]], and after bouncing to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], [[Cincinnati Reds]] and back to the Dodgers, he retired after the [[1935 in sports|1935]] season. Vance led the league in ERA three times, wins twice, and established a National League record by leading the league in strikeouts in seven consecutive years (1922 - [[1928 in sports|1928]]). He retired with a 197-140 record, 2045 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA - remarkable numbers considering he only saw 33 innings of big league play during his twenties.

==Major league career==

On [[September 24]], [[1924]], Vance struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Vance became the fifth National League pitcher and the seventh pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the [[Pitchers who struck out three batters on nine pitches|nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning]]. He finished the season with more strikeouts than any two National League pitchers combined ([[Burleigh Grimes]] with 135 and [[Dolf Luque]] with 86 were second and third respectively).

Vance and DeBerry formed a successful [[Battery (baseball)|battery]] during their tenure with Brooklyn.<ref name="Hank DeBerry Wonders If We've Forgotten Dazzy">{{cite news |title=Hank DeBerry Wonders If We've Forgotten Dazzy |work=The Toledo News-Bee |page=10 |date=March 6, 1934 |access-date=January 11, 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MfZXAAAAIBAJ&pg=4425,5632479&dq=hank+deberry&hl=en}}</ref> In 1922, Vance produced an 18–12 record with a 3.70 [[earned run average]] (ERA) and a league-leading 134 [[strikeout]]s.<ref name="Dazzy Vance statistics"/> His best individual season came in 1924, when he led the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in wins (28), strikeouts (262) and ERA (2.16)—the pitching [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]]—en route to winning the National League [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref name="Dazzy Vance statistics"/> Vance set the then-National League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game when he fanned 15 [[Chicago Cubs]] in a game on August 23, 1924.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dazzy Vance Fans 15 Chicago Batters for Season's Record|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7UYsAAAAIBAJ&pg=6363,4724856&dq=national+league+record+strikeouts+in+a+game+history&hl=en|work=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> He later struck-out 17 batters in a 10-inning game in 1925.

On September 24, 1924, Vance became the sixth pitcher in major-league history to pitch an [[List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning|immaculate inning]], striking out all three batters on nine total pitches in the third inning of a game against the Cubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats17.shtml|title=Immaculate Innings: 9 Pitches – 9 Strikes – 3 Outs|work=Baseball-Almanac.com|publisher=Baseball Almanac|access-date=August 29, 2021}}</ref> He finished the season with 262 strikeouts, more than any two National League pitchers combined ([[Burleigh Grimes]] with 135 and [[Dolf Luque]] with 86 were second and third respectively). That season, Vance had one out of every 13 strikeouts in the entire National League. Vance pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 13, 1925, against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], winning 10–1.

Vance pitched a [[no-hitter]] in [[1925 in sports|1925]]. He was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1955 in sports|1955]]. In [[1981]], [[Lawrence Ritter]] and [[Donald Honig]] included him in their book ''The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time''.

Vance was involved in one of the most famous flubs in baseball history, the "three men on third" incident during the 1926 season. With Vance on second and [[Chick Fewster]] on first, [[Babe Herman]] hit a long ball and began racing around the bases. As Herman rounded second, the third base coach yelled at him to go back, since Fewster had not yet passed third. Vance, having rounded third, misunderstood and reversed course, returning to third. Fewster arrived at third. Herman ignored the instruction and also arrived at third. The third baseman tagged out Herman and Fewster; Vance was declared safe by rule.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hinckley |first=David |date=March 28, 2003 |title=BASE LOADED Three Men on Third, 1926 chapter 29 |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2003/03/28/base-loaded-three-men-on-third-1926-chapter-29/ |access-date=2025-02-20 |work=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref>

== External links ==

* Dazzy Vance's career statistics at [http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/vanceda01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com]

* [http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/vance_dazzy.htm Baseball Hall of Fame Biography]

Vance's play began to decline in the early 1930s and he bounced to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (becoming a member of the team known as the [[Gashouse Gang]]), [[Cincinnati Reds]] and back to the Dodgers. On September 12, 1934, Vance hit his seventh and final major league home run at 43 years and 6 months, the second oldest pitcher to do so to this day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://calltothepen.com/2016/05/09/mlb-history-five-oldest-pitchers-hit-homerun/5/|title = MLB History: Five Oldest Pitchers to Hit a Homerun|date = May 9, 2016}}</ref> However, just a week later commenting for a newspaper article, Vance said that he did not recommend baseball as a career to young men. Vance pointed out that very few people could make a good living out of it, especially during a time when increasing major league salaries were attracting many college-educated men who would have previously chosen other work.<ref name=Reston>{{cite news|last1=Reston|first1=James|title=Dazzler earned $200,000, but does not recommend baseball as a profession|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19340919&id=7oMjAAAAIBAJ&pg=2916,6825621|access-date=January 2, 2015|work=[[The Day (New London)|The Day]]|date=September 19, 1934}}</ref>

{{start box}}

{{succession box | title=[[National League]] [[Triple crown (baseball)|Pitching Triple Crown]] | before= [[Pete Alexander]] | years=[[1924]] | after= [[Bucky Walters]]}}

Vance retired after the 1935 season. He led the league in ERA three times, wins twice, and established a National League record by leading the league in strikeouts in seven consecutive years (1922–1928). Vance retired with a 197–140 record, 2,045 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA &mdash; remarkable numbers considering he saw only 33 innings of big league play during his twenties.

{{succession box | title=[[List of Major League Baseball ERA champions|National League ERA Champion]] | before= [[Dolf Luque]] | years=[[1924]] | after= [[Dolf Luque]]}}

{{succession box | title=[[List of Major League Baseball ERA champions|National League ERA Champion]] | before= [[Ray Kremer]] | years=[[1928]] | after= [[Bill Walker (baseball)|Bill Walker]]}}

==Later life==

{{succession box | title=[[List of Major League Baseball ERA champions|National League ERA Champion]] | before= [[Bill Walker (baseball)|Bill Walker]] | years=[[1930]] | after= [[Bill Walker (baseball)|Bill Walker]]}}

[[File:Former professional baseball player Dazzy Vance duck hunting in Crystal River (15245079568).jpg|thumbnail|right|Vance duck hunting in Crystal River, Florida, January 1952]]

{{end box}}

Vance enjoyed hunting and fishing when he retired to [[Homosassa Springs, Florida]],<ref name=SK183/> where he had lived since the 1920s.<ref name=Lieb/> In 1938, Vance became ill with pneumonia. The illness worsened and kept him hospitalized for several months.<ref>Skipper, p. 177.</ref> Vance recovered and became a frequent guest at Brooklyn old-timers games.<ref name=SK179/>

Vance was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1955. He learned of his election when a highway patrolman got his attention on a local highway and told him that a photographer was at his house.<ref name=SK179>Skipper, p. 179.</ref> A Dazzy Vance Day celebration was held in Brooklyn. Biographer John Skipper characterized his Hall of Fame induction as "subdued" compared to the celebration in Brooklyn.<ref name=SK183>Skipper, p. 183.</ref>

Vance died of a heart attack in 1961 in Homosassa Springs. His obituary in ''[[The Sporting News]]'' said that he had been under a doctor's care but that he was active and thought to be in relatively good health when he died. His survivors included his wife Edyth and a daughter.<ref name=Lieb>{{cite news|last1=Lieb|first1=Fred|title=Dazzy Vance, Hall of Fame pitching star, dies at 69|url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_V/Vance.Dazzy.Obit.html|access-date=January 2, 2015|work=[[The Sporting News]]|date=February 22, 1961|archive-date=January 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123075100/http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_V/Vance.Dazzy.Obit.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Legacy==

In 1981, [[Lawrence Ritter]] and [[Donald Honig]] included him in their book ''The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time''. Vance is mentioned in the 1949 poem "[[Line-Up for Yesterday]]" by [[Ogden Nash]]:

{{Quote box |width= 18em |border= 4px |align= center |bgcolor= #FAF0E6 |qalign= center | title=Line-Up for Yesterday|quote=''V is for Vance,''<br/>''The Dodgers' own Dazzy;''<br/>''None of his rivals''<br/>''Could throw as fast as he.''

|source= — [[Ogden Nash]], [[Sport (US magazine)|''Sport'' magazine]] (January 1949)<ref>{{cite web|title=Baseball Almanac|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_line.shtml|access-date=January 23, 2008 }}</ref> }}

==See also==

{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}

* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders]]

* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders]]

* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]

* [[List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders]]

* [[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters]]

* [[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]

==Notes==

{{Reflist}}

==References==

* {{cite book|last1=Skipper|first1=John|title=Dazzy Vance: A Biography of the Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Famer|year=2007|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786481798|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-uLO6EZvK8C|access-date=January 2, 2015}}

== External links ==

* {{bbhof|vance-dazzy}}

{{Baseballstats |mlb=123630 |espn= |br=v/vanceda01 |fangraphs=1013342 |brm=vance-001cla |retro=V/Pvancd101}}

* [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XvouAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6dsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6443,5004729&dq=harry-grayson&hl=en Vance Was Violent Pitcher With Power, Speed To Burn], by [[Harry Grayson]], May 26, 1943

* {{Find a Grave}}

{{s-start|header={{s-ach}}}}

[[Category:1891 births|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{succession box | before = [[Dutch Ruether]] | title = [[Brooklyn Robins]] [[Opening Day]] <br> [[Starting pitcher]]| years = 1925 | after = [[Jesse Petty]]}}

[[Category:1961 deaths|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{succession box | title=[[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Pitching Triple Crown]] | before= [[Grover Cleveland Alexander|Pete Alexander]] | years=1924 | after= [[Bucky Walters]]}}

[[Category:Major league players from Iowa|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{succession box | title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]] | before= [[Jesse Haines]] | years= September 13, 1925 | after= [[Ted Lyons]]}}

[[Category:Major league pitchers|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{s-end}}

[[Category:Baseball Hall of Fame|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{1955 Baseball HOF}}

[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}

[[Category:New York Yankees players|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{St. Louis Cardinals HOF}}

[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players|Vance, Dazzy]]

[[Category:{{1934 St. Louis Cardinals players|Vance, Dazzy]]}}

{{Los Angeles Dodgers HOF}}

[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers}}

[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers who have pitched a no-hitter|Vance, Dizzy]]

{{NL League Award}}

[[Category:National League ERA champions|Vance, Dazzy]]

{{MLB Triple Crowns (pitchers)}}

{{NL wins champions}}

{{NL ERA champions}}

{{NL strikeout champions}}

{{New York Yankees HOF}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vance, Dazzy}}

[[de:Dazzy Vance]]

[[Category:1891 births]]

[[Category:1961 deaths]]

[[Category:Baseball players from Iowa]]

[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players]]

[[Category:Brooklyn Robins players]]

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[[Category:Columbus Senators players]]

[[Category:Hastings Reds players]]

[[Category:Hastings Senior High School (Nebraska) alumni]]

[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]

[[Category:Memphis Chickasaws players]]

[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]

[[Category:National League (baseball) wins champions]]

[[Category:National League ERA champions]]

[[Category:National League pitching Triple Crown winners]]

[[Category:National League strikeout champions]]

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[[Category:People from Adair County, Iowa]]

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