Dizzy Trout Tigers Pitching Star 1944

Tiger Moundsman

Right-hander Paul “Dizzy” Trout, Detroit Tigers pitching ace, now seeing plenty of action in the Tigers’ drive for the American League pennant. 9/25/1944 photo: AP

Ask a baseball fan to tell you a player named Dizzy and the name that will come up nine times out of ten will be Dizzy Dean. Dean had a shorter career than Dizzy Trout, but Dean made himself legendary in four spectacular seasons from 1933-1936 winning 102 games. Dean was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. Trout was a two -time All-Star and fixture for the Tigers from 1939-1952.

The wild-eyed stare of Dizzy Trout may have intimidated hitters, maybe not. In 1944 Trout would post a 27-14 record but strikeout only 144 batters. Trout did lead the American League in innings pitched (352.1); games started (40); complete games (33); shutouts (7) and ERA (2.12).

Tiger teammate Hal Newhouser led the American League in wins with 29. Even with this terrific tandem, the Tigers did not win the pennant. As the news slug mentions the Tigers would rely on Trout during the final week of the season. Trout won once and lost twice, including dropping the final game of the season to the Washington Senators 4-1. The St. Louis Browns with an 89-65 record edged the Tigers by one game and would go on to face the crosstown St. Louis Cardinals in the 1944 World Series.

The following season, 1945, Trout was not as successful winning only 18 games, but the Tigers won the World Series.

While compiling a solid baseball career Trout would never again have a year as good as he did in 1944. He finished up a fifteen year career with a 170-161 record and a 3.23 ERA. One of Trout’s ten children, Steve, would pitch 12 years in the majors from 1978-1989 compiling a 88-92 record.

Dizzy Trout died of cancer on February 28, 1972 at the age of 56.