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January 1, 1936
Before I forgot, I wanted to announce the retirement of two stars from the dynasty's earliest years.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Eugene Wise wore the Pale Hose for 16 seasons. He retired at the end of the 1935 season with a career record of 256-205 and a lifetime ERA of 3.05. Wise's victory total is second all-time, trailing only that of Baltimore ace Mike Crawford. Eugene went out in style, going 20-7 with a 3.09 ERA in his final season.
First baseman Mike Dickey was the last player chosen in the first round of the inaugural draft in 1920. He spent the best years of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1933. Dickey retired with a lifetime average of .354, and is the all-time leader in games, at-bats, hits (3413), doubles (665), and total bases (4,674). He ranks fourth in RBI (1449) and fifth in runs scored (1546).
The three players with lifetime averages higher than Dickey's are Chuck Klein (.366), Jo-Jo White (.362), and Ken Rich (.355). Klein and White both have a lot of baseball left to play, so it's too early to tell what might happen to their lifetime averages. White, in particular, is a work in progress; he has about 2500 career at-bats. Rich, how with the White Sox, is still swinging at age 43.
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