Dean Chance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dean Chance |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 1, 1941 Wooster, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: October 11, 2015 (aged 74) Wooster, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 11, 1961, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 9, 1971, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 128–115 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.92 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,534 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dean Chance (born June 1, 1941 – died October 11, 2015) was an American player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons. Dean Chance played for teams like the Los Angeles / California Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers. He was known for his unique pitching style, where he would turn his back to the batter before throwing a powerful fastball or curveball.
In 1964, Dean Chance became the youngest pitcher at that time to win the Cy Young Award. This award goes to the best pitcher in baseball. Playing for the Los Angeles Angels, he led the American League in wins (20), innings pitched, and earned run average (ERA) with an amazing 1.65. He also pitched 11 shutouts that season, which means he prevented the other team from scoring any runs in those games. At the time, only one Cy Young Award was given for all of MLB. Later, they started giving separate awards for the American League and the National League.
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Early Baseball Years
Dean Chance went to Northwestern High School in West Salem, Ohio. He was a star in both baseball and basketball. He even helped his basketball team win a state title in 1958. But baseball was where he truly shined. During his high school career, he set many state records that are still unbroken today. These include a 52–1 career record and 20 wins in a single season. He also pitched an incredible 17 no-hitters in total.
After high school, Dean Chance signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 1959. He started his professional career in the minor leagues. In 1960, he played for the Fox Cities Foxes. In December 1960, the Washington Senators picked him in a special draft. Soon after, the Senators traded him to the Los Angeles Angels. He made his major league debut on September 11, 1961, when he was just 20 years old.
Major League Highlights
Dean Chance had a great first full season in 1962. He won 14 games and had a good ERA of 2.96. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. During this time, Chance and fellow pitcher Bo Belinsky were famous both on the field and in Hollywood social circles. They were often in the news, which sometimes worried their manager.
Winning the Cy Young Award
After his amazing 1964 season, where he won the Cy Young Award, Chance continued to pitch well. He won 15 games in 1965 and 12 games in 1966. After the 1966 season, the Angels traded Chance to the Minnesota Twins. This trade happened on December 2, and the Angels received three players in return.
Success with the Twins
Dean Chance had another fantastic season in 1967 with the Twins. He won 20 games and led the American League in games started and complete games. A complete game means he pitched the entire game without needing a relief pitcher. On August 6, 1967, he pitched a rain-shortened, five-inning perfect game against the Red Sox. A perfect game means no opposing player reaches base. He also pitched a 2–1 no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians on August 25. The Twins almost won the league championship that year, but they lost in the final game. Chance was chosen for his second All-Star team and won the Comeback Player of the Year award.
In 1968, Chance had a 16–16 record, but his pitching was still strong. He had career bests in strikeouts and innings pitched. However, the Twins' offense struggled to score runs for him. In many of his starts, the team scored two runs or fewer. Despite his strong performance, his career began to decline after 1968. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in December 1969.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1970, Dean Chance played for both the Cleveland Indians and the New York Mets. He was traded again in March 1971 to the Detroit Tigers. He finished his career with the Tigers, often pitching from the bullpen. His last major league game was on August 9, 1971.
Over his 11-season career, Dean Chance had 128 wins and 115 losses. His career ERA was 2.92, which is very good. He was not a strong hitter, which was common for pitchers before the designated hitter rule. He had a very low batting average of .066.
Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Dean Chance lived on a ranch. For many years, he worked at carnivals and fairs, operating games. He became very successful in this business, running many games at large events like the Ohio State Fair. He traveled a lot for this work.
In the 1990s, Chance founded the International Boxing Association. He managed many boxers and served as the president of the organization for a long time.
In 2011, as part of the Angels' 50th anniversary, Dean Chance threw out the first pitch before a game. In August 2015, he was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame, a special honor for great players from the team. Dean Chance passed away at his home on October 11, 2015, at the age of 74.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
