Wayne County Historical Society launches Dean Chance exhibit

WOOSTER — Local legend Dean Chance played Major League Baseball in five cities during an impressive 11-year career, but according to his son, Brett, the former farm boy always considered Wayne County to be his home.

Fittingly, the Wayne County Historical Society will unveil an expansive exhibition in his honor on Saturday — one that will showcase his achievements, his awards, and his status as a baseball superstar.

Located at 546 East Bowman Street (next to Drug Mart) in Wooster, the exhibition is sponsored by RES Auction Services and will be open on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. through Oct. 15. Admission is $5. Children 13 and under will be admitted at no charge.

Featured in the exhibition this weekend only are Chance’s Cy Young Award from 1964 and his Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award from 1967. Included for the duration of the exhibition is a collection of baseball cards chronicling each of his Major League seasons, and a number of national sporting publications, in which he was featured on the cover — one of which compared him with another Los Angeles legend — Sandy Koufax.

In addition, there are a variety of photos from his days as a baseball and basketball standout at Northwestern High School along with a number with such celebrities as Pete Rose, Jim Palmer, Hubert Humphrey, and even J. Edgar Hoover. There are also newspaper clippings highlighting his accomplishments at Northwestern and his feats in the Big Leagues as well as a black-and-white video from the first three innings he pitched at the 1964 All-Star Game.

Ray Leisy, president of the Wayne County Historical Society, said the organization hopes that the Chance exhibition will appeal to a broader base of patrons and rekindle interest in the enterprise, which has essentially been dormant for two years because of COVID.

Among those expected to be on hand when the exhibition opens on Saturday are several members of Chance’s family, including former wife, Judy, and their only son, Brett.

Born on June 1, 1941, in northern Wayne County, Chance was a spectacular baseball and basketball player under legendary Northwestern coach Roy Bates. He helped to lead the Huskies to state championships in both sports, but his performance in baseball caught the attention of Major League scouts. He posted a 52-1 record as a pitcher while registering eight no-hitters in a season and 17 for his high school career.

He signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 1959 but went to the Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft the following year. He pitched for the Angels (1961-66), Twins (1967-69), Indians (1970), Mets (1970), and Tigers (1971) during his career. He compiled a 128-115 record with a 2.92 earned run average and 1,534 strikeouts. He was selected as the starting pitcher for the All-Star Game in 1964 and 1967 and finished his career with 83 complete games and 33 shutouts.

Chance, who died in 2015, was inducted into the Wayne County Hall of Fame, the Oho Basketball Hall of Fame, the California Angels Hall of Fame, and the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also selected as Daily Record Co-Athlete of the Century in Wayne Country along with former Cleveland Browns’ legend Dick Schafrath.

“The exhibit is obviously about Dean Chance and a celebration of the greatest baseball player from Wayne County, but it is much more than that,” said Leisy. “It contains such a wealth of information about baseball in general and how it was played in the 1960’s. It is a great opportunity for baseball fans to see how much the game has changed in the past 50 years, and how one young man became one of the greatest pitchers of his time.”

Aaron Dorksen, president of the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame, said it was an honor to be asked to be on the planning committee, and he commended Vicki Slater for her work in coordinating the exhibition.

"No matter how much someone knows about Dean Chance or baseball, they'll see something unique or learn something new after seeing this exhibit," Dorksen said. "One of the really unique items on display is Dean's lifetime MLB game pass, which he was given because he had at least eight years in the big leagues. The 'Golden Ticket' allowed him and a guest to get into any game for free. It's also really interesting to see the old articles and photos going back to his Northwestern days."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Dean Chance exhibit debuts Saturday at Wayne County Historical Society