Dizzy And The Gas House Gang: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-Era Baseball

by Doug Feldmann

McFarland & Company (series)

Led by the colorful pitcher Dizzy Dean, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals personified Depression-era America. The players were underpaid, wore uniforms that were almost always torn and dirty, and had wandered into professional baseball from small towns in the Midwest where other jobs were scarce. Despite their lack of resources, however, and despite coming off two mediocre seasons, the Cardinals emerged triumphant in '34, winning the pennant by two games over the Giants and the World Series in seven games over the Tigers.

The book chronicles that championship team which came to be known in baseball lore as the famous "Gas House Gang." This work brings to life the legendary exploits of player manager Frankie Frisch and the Dean brothers - Dizzy and Paul - who combined for 49 wins that season. The era, the team, the season, and the Series are all fully covered.