Wayland Dean

Dean began his professional career in {{baseball year|1922}} with the Class-C Daytona Beach Islanders. He went 8–6 with 77 runs allowed in 19 games with the Islanders. Later that season, Dean played for the Class-AA Louisville Colonels of the American Association. In 11 games, Dean went 3–5 with a 4.88 ERA. The next season, Dean continued to play for the Colonels. He went 21–8 with a 3.27 ERA in 36 games that season. Dean ended the season fifth in the league in wins.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/leader.cgi?type=pitch&id=10060 |title=1923 American Association Pitching Leaders |author= |date= |work=Baseball-Reference |publisher=baseball-reference.com |access-date=March 4, 2010}}

Dean was purchased by the New York Giants after being described by The New York Times as being the "most-sought-after young twirler in the minor leagues."{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1924/01/06/archives/louisville-star-bought-by-giants-wayland-dean-comes-to-national.html |title=Wayland Dean Comes to National League Champions for Cash and Players |author= |date=January 6, 1924 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 4, 2010}} Dean refused to sign a contract offered to him by the Giants in January of that year.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L7ogAAAAIBAJ&pg=3559,1402637&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Wayland Dean, star Twirler from the South, first Giants holdout |author= |date=January 22, 1924 |work=The Lewiston Daily Sun |publisher= |access-date=March 4, 2010}} In his major league debut, the Giants lost to the Washington Nationals 3–2.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l8YLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5794,3206810&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717050844/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l8YLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wlQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5794,3206810&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |title=Wayland Dean beats Robins |date=April 18, 1924 |work=The Evening Independent |access-date=March 4, 2010}} On the season, Dean went 6–12 with a 5.01 ERA, and 39 strikeouts in 26 games, 20 starts. In 1925, Dean played his second season with the Giants. On June 12, Dean was injured after he was struck in the knee during batting practice before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oYctAAAAIBAJ&pg=4058,2204120&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Pitcher Dean hurt |author= |date=June 12, 1925 |work=Reading Eagle |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} Dean also struck out Hall of Famer Mel Ott in Ott's first major league at-bat.{{Cite news |date=1945-05-01 |title=Baseball Banter |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/pqlhgsvvzovrqutwkculigotkbbpayqy_ip-10-166-46-85_1739860786920 |access-date=2025-02-18 |work=Milwaukee Journal |page=2 |via=GenealogyBank.com |agency=Associated Press}} On the season, Dean went 10–7 with a 4.64 ERA, 1 save, and 53 strikeouts.

In January 1926, the Giants traded Dean to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Jack Bentley for Jimmy Ring.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SngrAAAAIBAJ&pg=4883,1916226&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Strings Along With McGraw |author= |date=January 13, 1926 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} With the Phillies that season, Dean went 8–16 with a 4.91 ERA, and 52 strikeouts in 33 games, 26 starts. His 111 earned runs allowed led all pitchers in the National League.{{cite web |title=1926 Major League Baseball Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1926-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=March 13, 2010 |work=Baseball-Reference}} The next season, Dean again played for the Phillies. On May 26, 1927, Dean was suspended by Phillies manager Stuffy McInnis after Dean didn't report to the team for two days straight.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LW8tAAAAIBAJ&pg=7059,3887370&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Wayland Dean Suspended |author= |date=May 26, 1927 |work=The Montreal Gazette |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} With the Phillies that season, Dean went 0–1 in 2 games with 4 earned runs.

On June 2, 1927, Dean was sold by the Phillies to the Chicago Cubs.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9XwuAAAAIBAJ&pg=4673,270225&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Giants Sell Hamby |author= |date=June 2, 1927 |work=The Montreal Gazette |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} With the Cubs, Dean pitched 2 games and compiled no win–loss record, and gave up no earned runs.

On February 21, 1928, Dean was traded by the Cubs to the Louisville Colonels for Ed Holly.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vEgbAAAAIBAJ&pg=2912,4408174&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Holly to Join Cubs |author= |date=February 21, 1928 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} That season marked Dean's return to the Class-AA Louisville Colonels, where he was first discovered by the New York Giants. In 4 games with the Colonels, Dean went 0–1, and gave up no earned runs. His season was cut short when he became ill with tuberculosis, and was sent to Tucson, Arizona because doctors concluded that his only chance of survival was to be in the city's climate.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wyIbAAAAIBAJ&pg=1624,5285406&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Dean Fighting White Plague |author= |date=July 17, 1928 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} The Pittsburgh Press criticized Dean on his choices throughout his career, writing, "[Dean] was a careless fellow, who went the pace headlong." Dean did, however, recover and played the next season with the Class-B Dayton Aviators of the Central League, this time as an outfielder.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x28bAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590,3710501&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Turns to Outfielding |author= |date=April 23, 1929 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} In 511 at-bats with the Aviators, Dean batted .317 with 32 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 home runs. That season, Dean was fifth in the league in home runs.{{cite web |title=1929 Central League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=10829&sort_by=HR |access-date=March 13, 2010 |work=Baseball-Reference}} Dean became ill again and was forced into retirement.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EB0gAAAAIBAJ&pg=4147,998567&dq=wayland+dean&hl=en |title=Dean Baseball Star, Is Dead In Virginia |author= |date=April 11, 1930 |work=The Lewiston Daily Sun |publisher= |access-date=March 13, 2010}} He died on April 11, 1930, in his parents house at the age of 27, afflicted with tuberculosis. After his death, Dean's former manager in Louisville, Joe McCarthy, named Dean as the best player he had ever sold to the major leagues.{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Sam |date=1940-09-04 |title=Herring |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/amfwgmhprmxuktptgcpajmxgrtdwyeoz_ip-10-166-46-72_1739860830056 |access-date=2025-02-18 |work=Milwaukee Journal |page=19 |via=GenealogyBank.com}}

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Category:1902 births

Category:1930 deaths

Category:Baseball players from West Virginia

Category:Chicago Cubs players

Category:Daytona Beach Islanders players

Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis

Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players

Category:Major League Baseball pitchers

Category:People from Richwood, West Virginia

Category:Philadelphia Phillies players

Category:New York Giants (baseball) players

Category:Tuberculosis deaths in West Virginia

Category:Dayton Aviators players

Category:20th-century American sportsmen