Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean began his radio career in 1941 in St. Louis following the end of his career as a Major League Baseball player. He was the voice of the Browns for their home games on KWK, later teaming up with Buddy Blattner for the nationally broadcast “Game of the Week” on ABC and CBS. Knowing he had to do something to stand out from the other announcers, Dean adopted a vernacular language for the broadcasts. Legend has it that the nation’s English teachers began a protest movement complaining about Dean’s English, but the “movement” turned out to be a PR stunt. Broadcast sponsor Griesedisck Bros. Beer even published a special giveaway dictionary to help listeners understand what Dean was saying.
