Even today’s modern kids who might not even watch baseball or be able to name one single player have heard the name Joe DiMaggio. His name is synonymous with baseball and sports, as he was part of the game during its glory days, when it seemed every American boy dreamed of seeing the Yankees or the Dodgers play ball in their home stadium and win the World Series. He played for the New York Yankees during his entire pro baseball career, something rarely seen today.
Joe DiMaggio was born in 1914 in Martinez, California, the 8th child of 9 born to Sicilian immigrants. His family moved to San Francisco a year later. His father wanted him to be a fisherman like he and his father before him, but the smell of the boat made Joe nauseous, so he had no desire to walk in his father’s footsteps. Joe played semi-pro ball until 1934, when he tore some knee ligaments and the Seals, the team that wanted to sell him to a pro team found themselves with an injured player that no one would pay for.
The Chicago Cubs wouldn’t even allow Joe to try out because of the injury, but the New York Yankees’ scout was impressed and bought his contract, for a quarter of the prices the Seals had hoped to get. He stayed with the Seals for the next season, and became their Most Valuable Player, before the switch was made to the New York Yankees. Joe DiMaggio batted for the first time in the major leagues in 1936, right before Lou Gehrig’s turn at bat.
DiMaggio did something no one else had done before by getting 75 home runs in his first two major league baseball seasons. They won the first 4 Fall Classics after bringing Joe onto the team, and ending up winning 9 titles over the next 13 years. Joe DiMaggio was often compared to baseball greats Babe Ruth, Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb by sportswriters, also earning him the nicknames Joltin’ Joe and The Yankee Clipper. Several years after his retirement in 1951 he was voted the greatest living baseball player by a poll of pro players in 1969.
Throughout his career, Joe DiMaggio won three Most Valuable Player awards and was an All-Star 13 times. He still holds the distinction of the being the only baseball player in history who was an All-Star every season in which he played. He set a record with a 56-game hitting streak, and managed to hit in 72 out of 73 games, an impressive achievement. Just two years before his retirement, in 1949, he was regarded as the best baseball player, but injuries and the pain they caused led to his retirement just two years later. He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
Popular Joe DiMaggio collectibles are baseball jerseys bearing his retired #5, New York Yankees sports memorabilia that’s tied to DiMaggio, particularly from his early career, and autographed items.
Originally posted 2008-11-15 14:13:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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