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Between 1963 and 1966, only one pitcher not named Koufax won the Cy Young award. That was Wilmer Dean Chance, the Los Angeles Angels ace who hurled 11 shutouts in 1964.
Signed by Baltimore in 1959, the Los Angeles Angels plucked Dean Chance from the Orioles’ organization in the 1960 expansion draft. In his rookie season of 1962, Chance emerged as the team’s best starter, finishing with a 14-10 record and 2.96 ERA as the Angels surprised the league by finishing third in only their second season. The next year the Angels came back to earth, finishing ninth, and Chance’s record slipped to 13-18 despite pitching well enough to post a 3.19 ERA.
Chance was the American League’s most dominant pitcher in 1964, his Cy Young season. His 20-9 record tied him with Chicago’s Gary Peters for most victories. Chance led the league in inning pitched (278) and complete games (15), of which 11 were shutouts (6 of which were 1-0 victories). He also recorded the majors’ best ERA at 1.65. His 207 strikeouts were third in the league.
The 1965 season was another strong one for Chance, 15-10 with a 3.15 ERA. The next year, he lowered his ERA to 3.08, but his record slipped to 12-17. That winter, Chance was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Pete Cimino, Jimmie Hall and Don Mincher.
Chance won 20 games for the Twins in 1967 with a 2.73 ERA. He led the American League in games started (39), complete games (18) and innings pitched (283). He was third in the American League in strikeouts with 220. The only dark point for Chance in an otherwise stellar season came on the last day.
The Twins were tied with the Red Sox going into the last regular season game at Fenway Park. It was a marquee pitching matching, pitting both teams’ aces: Chance (20-13) for the Twins, and Jim Lonborg (21-7) for the Red Sox. The Twins scored a run in both the first and third innings, while Chance shut out the Red Sox over the first five frames. Then the Red Sox chased Chance out of the game, scoring 5 times in the sixth inning. Lonborg coasted the rest of the way, winning a league-leading twenty-second game and the Cy Young award.
In 1968, Chance went 16-16 for the Twins with an excellent 2.53 ERA. He achieved personal highs for innings pitched (292) and strikeouts (234). A series of injuries kept Chance from ever again performing at that level. Over the next 3 years, pitching for 4 different teams, Chance’s combined record was only 18-19.
Looking for Dean Chance's stats? In Hardball Bob's opinion, the best source for online statistics is Baseball-Reference.com. For Dean's career stats, go here.
Dean Chance is one of the 1960s baseball stars featured in 60 From The ‘60s: 60 Players Who Made the 1960s Baseball’s Real Golden Age. It’s a great introduction to baseball the way the game was meant to be played … without free agents, designated hitters or advanced chemistry. Check it out at http://www.60fromthe60s.com
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