Joe DiMaggio: Difference between revisions

{{Distinguish|John DiMaggio|Joe Maggio}}

'''Joseph Paul DiMaggio''' (born '''Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio'''; {{IPA|it|dʒuˈzɛppe ˈpaːolo diˈmaddʒo|}}; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "'''Joltin' Joe'''", "'''Thethe Yankee Clipper'''" and "'''Joe D.'''", was an American [[baseball]] [[center fielder]] who played his entire 13-year career in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[New York Yankees]]. Born to [[Italian Americans|Italian immigrants]] in California, he is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and set the record for the [[Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak|longest hitting streak in major league baseball]] (56 games from May 15 – July 16, 1941).<ref name="Arbesman-Strogatz 2008">{{Cite news | last1 = Arbesman | first1 = Samuel | last2 = Strogatz | first2 = Steven | author2-link = Steven Strogatz | title = A Journey to Baseball's Alternate Universe | newspaper = The New York Times | date = March 30, 2008 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30strogatz.html | access-date = February 9, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170630144311/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30strogatz.html?_r=1&oref=slogin | archive-date = June 30, 2017 | url-status = live }}</ref>

Giuseppe was a [[fishing industry|fisherman]], as were generations of DiMaggios before him. JoeDiMaggio's brother Tom told [[Maury Allen]] that Rosalia's father wrote to her saying Giuseppe could earn a better living in California. Giuseppe and Rosalia decided that he would go to the United States for one year: if things were better, he would send for her; if not, he would return home. After being processed on [[Ellis Island]], Giuseppe worked his way across the country, eventually settling near Rosalia's father in [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]], on the east side of the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. After four years, he had earned enough money to send for Rosalia and their daughter, who was born after he left. When Joe was a toddler, Giuseppe moved his family to the [[North Beach, San Francisco|North Beach]] section of [[San Francisco]].<ref name="Cramer2000" />{{rp|18}} Giuseppe hoped that his five sons would become fishermen.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014151.html |title=Joltin' Joe was a hit for all reason |work=[[ESPN]] |access-date=March 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205205545/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014151.html |archive-date=February 5, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

By 1931, DiMaggio was playing semi-pro ball. Nearing the end of the 1932 season, his brother [[Vince DiMaggio|Vince]], playing for the [[San Francisco Seals (PCL)|San Francisco Seals]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL), talked his manager into letting DiMaggio fill in at [[shortstop]]. He made his professional debut on October 1, 1932, playing the last three games. In less than two years, DiMaggio made the jump from the playground to the PCL, one notch below the majors.<ref name="Cramer2000" />{{rp|34}} In his full rookie year, from May 27 to July 25, 1933, he [[hit (baseball)|hit]] safely in 61 consecutive games, a PCL-record,<ref>{{cite book |title=Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures |year=2008 |edition=2008 |page=[https://archive.org/details/greatbaseballfea00davi/page/210 210] |first1=David |last1=Nemec |first2=Scott |last2=Flatow |series=A Signet Book |publisher=Penguin Group |location=New York |isbn=978-0-451-22363-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatbaseballfea00davi/page/210 }}</ref> and second-longest in [[Minor League Baseball]] history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kramer |first=Daniel |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/indians-prospect-francisco-mejias-hit-streak/c-192043120 |title=Mejia's epic streak ends, then extends to 50: Official scorer changes controversial error call after game to keep run alive for Indians prospect |work=[[MLB.com]] |date=August 12, 2016 |access-date=August 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202180205/https://www.mlb.com/news/indians-prospect-francisco-mejias-hit-streak/c-192043120 |archive-date=February 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> "Baseball didn't really get into my blood until I knocked off that hitting streak," he said. "Getting a daily hit became more important to me than eating, drinking, or sleeping".”

In 1939, DiMaggio was nicknamed "the "Yankee Clipper" by Yankee's play-by-play announcer [[Arch McDonald]], when he likened DiMaggio's speed and range in the outfield to the then-new [[Pan American World Airways|Pan American]] airliner.<ref name=Cramer2000>{{cite book|title=Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life|author=Richard Ben Cramer|date=2000|publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=0684853914}}</ref>{{rp|152}} That year in August, DiMaggio recorded 53 RBIs, tying [[Hack Wilson]]'s 1930 record for most in a single month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-s-greatest-offensive-streaks-c286932052|title=The 27 greatest offensive runs in MLB history|first=David|last=Adler|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=May 24, 2020|accessdate=January 7, 2022}}</ref> He also won his first career batting title and MVP award, as well as leading the Yankees to their fourth consecutive World Series championship.<ref>{{cite news|title=DiMaggio Voted Most Valuable Player in American League|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=31|date=October 25, 1939}}</ref>

DiMaggio might have had better power-hitting statistics had his home park not been [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]. In "The House That Ruth Built", its nearby right field favored the Babe's left-handed power. For right-handed hitters, its deep left and center fields made home runs almost impossible. [[Mickey Mantle]] recalled that he and [[Whitey Ford]] witnessed many DiMaggio blasts that would have been home runs anywhere other than Yankee Stadium (Ruth himself fell victim to that problem, as he also hit many long flyouts to center). [[Bill James]] calculated that DiMaggio lost more home runs due to his home park than any other player in history. Left-center field went as far back as 457&nbsp;ft [139&nbsp;m], whereas left-center rarely reaches 380&nbsp;ft [116&nbsp;m] in today's ballparks. [[Al Gionfriddo]]'s famous catch in the [[1947 World Series]], which was close to the 415-foot mark [126&nbsp;m] in left-center, just in front of the visitors bullpen, would have been a home run in the Yankees' current ballpark and most other ballparks at that time, except perhaps the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants. DiMaggio hit 148 home runs in 3,360 at-bats at home versus 213 home runs in 3,461 at-bats on the road. His slugging percentage at home was .546, and on the road, it was .610. Statistician Bill Jenkinson commented on these figures:

In January 1937, DiMaggio met actress [[Dorothy Arnold (actress)|Dorothy Arnold]] on the set of ''[[Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (film)|Manhattan Merry-Go-Round]]'', in which he had a minor role, and she was an extra. He announced their engagement on April 25, 1939, just before the Yankees were to meet the [[Philadelphia Athletics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19390426&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |title=A's Are Held to Eight Hits |newspaper=The Montreal Gazette |date=April 26, 1939 |page=18 |via=Google News Archive}}</ref> They married at [[Saints Peter and Paul Church, San Francisco]] on November 19, 1939, as 20,000 well-wishers jammed the streets. TheirThe couple's son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr. (1941–1999), was born at [[Doctors' Hospital (Staten Island)|Doctors' Hospital]] in Staten Island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1999/03/08/NEWS8438.dtl |title=Joe DiMaggio 1914–1999 |work=San Francisco Examiner |date=March 9, 1999 |access-date=August 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050401080623/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fexaminer%2Farchive%2F1999%2F03%2F08%2FNEWS8438.dtl |archive-date=April 1, 2005}}</ref> Their marriage was troubled, as Arnold wanted DiMaggio to settle down and be a father to their son and a nearby husband to her; DiMaggio was more interested in the public eye.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gaffney |first=Dennis |title=Joe DiMaggio Jr. |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/dimaggio-joe-dimaggio-jr/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=[[PBS]] |language=en}}</ref> The couple divorced in 1944, while heDiMaggio was on leave from the Yankees during World War II.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

According to her autobiography ''My Story'', co-written with [[Ben Hecht]],<ref>[http://www.cursumperficio.net/CD/NJ/Pap/Oth/CBHecht1.jpg "'My Story' Contract" (March 16, 1954)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224101753/http://www.cursumperficio.net/CD/NJ/Pap/Oth/CBHecht1.jpg |date=December 24, 2017 }} ''cursumperficio.net'' June 6, 2017</ref> American actress [[Marilyn Monroe]] originally did not want to meet DiMaggio, fearing he was a stereotypically arrogant athlete. However, they did meet in [[Los Angeles]] while on a [[blind date]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Alexandra |first=Rae |date=January 10, 2023 |title=How Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’sDiMaggio's Tumultuous Marriage Began in San Francisco |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922524/marilyn-monroe-joe-dimaggio-san-francisco-city-hall-wedding-1954 |access-date=June 11, 2024 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref> After dating for two years,<ref name=":1">{{Cite webmagazine |date=2014-01-14 |title=Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio: The End of a Marriage, 1954 |url=https://www.life.com/people/tearful-photos-from-the-day-marilyn-divorced-dimaggio-in-1954/ |access-date=June 11, 2024 |websitemagazine=LIFE |language=en-US}}</ref> they eloped at [[San Francisco City Hall]] on January 14, 1954.<ref name=":0" /> Although she suffered from [[endometriosis]], Monroe and DiMaggio each expressed to reporters their desire to start a family.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Widjojo |first=Conchita |date=July 28, 2022 |title=Inside Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’sDiMaggio's Tumultuous Relationship That Took an Unexpected Turn |url=https://wwd.com/feature/marilyn-monroe-joe-dimaggio-relationship-details-1235264615/ |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref>

The union was troubled from the start by DiMaggio's jealousy, controlling attitude, and him physically abusing Monroe;{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=208, 222–223, 262–267, 292|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=243–245|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp=204, 219–221}} as well as her busy life as an actress.<ref name=":3" /> A violent fight between the couple occurred immediately after Monroe filmed the skirt-blowing scene in ''[[The Seven Year Itch]]'' that was filmed on September 14, 1954, in front of Manhattan's Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theater, as DiMaggio disapproved of the scene.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/sep/15/marilyn-monroe-seven-year-itch-dress|title='That silly little dress': the story behind Marilyn Monroe's iconic scene|first=Anne T.|last=Donahue|newspaper=The Guardian |date=September 15, 2014|access-date=July 21, 2019|via=www.theguardian.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806121617/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/sep/15/marilyn-monroe-seven-year-itch-dress|archive-date=August 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Then [[20th Century Fox]]'s [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] correspondent Bill Kobrin told the ''[[The Desert Sun|Palm Springs Desert Sun]]'' that it was director [[Billy Wilder]]'s idea to turn the shoot into a media circus. Monroe and DiMaggio then had a "yelling battle" in the theater lobby.<ref>{{cite news|title=Meet Marilyn Monroe photographer Saturday |url=http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060626/UPDATE/60626018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213031710/http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060626%2FUPDATE%2F60626018 |archive-date=December 13, 2007 |first=Denise |last=Goolsby |newspaper=The Desert Sun |date=June 26, 2006 |access-date=August 25, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After returning from [[New York City]] to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] in October 1954, Monroe filed for divorce from DiMaggio after only nine months of marriage.{{sfnm|1a1=Summers|1y=1985|1pp=103–105|2a1=Spoto|2y=2001|2pp=290–295|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp=224–225}} However, she was devastated to leave DiMaggio, and throughout the procedures in court, she could be seen weeping openly.<ref name=":1" />

Devastated, DiMaggio claimed Monroe's body and arranged for her funeral at [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]. He barred Hollywood's elite and members of the [[Kennedy family]] from attending the funeral, including President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for the20 restyears.<ref>{{Cite ofweb his|title=Marriages 37— yearsThe Official Site of lifeJoe DiMaggio |url=https://www.joedimaggio.com/the-man/marriages/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=JoeDiMaggio.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=NYTobit>{{cite news |last=Durso |first=Joseph |title=Joe DiMaggio, Yankee Clipper, Dies at 84 |date=March 9, 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/09/sports/joe-dimaggio-yankee-clipper-dies-at-84.html |access-date=May 25, 2009 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203163318/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/09/sports/joe-dimaggio-yankee-clipper-dies-at-84.html?scp=2&sq |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Oftentimes, he refused to talk about her publicly or otherwise exploit their relationship, and in the rare moments when he did speak to reporters, he was unable to hold back tears. He never married again.<ref name=":0" />

The Joe DiMaggio Fields in his hometown of [[Martinez, California]], are named after him.

DiMaggio played in 10 World Series, winning 9. His only loss was in the [[1942 World Series]]. He batted .271 (54-19954–199), with 27 runs scored, 8 home runs, and 30 RBI in 51 post-season games.

*[[Curt Flood]]: painting of DiMaggio sold at auction for $9,500<ref>[http://google.com/search?q=cache:uYi3nhuPHQwJ:www.huntauctions.com/online/view_lots_items_list_closed.cfm%3Fauction%3D27%26start_number%3D801%26last_number%3D900+%22Joe+DiMaggio%22+%22Curt+Flood%22&cd=18&hl?auction=en27&ctstart_number=clnk801&gllast_number=us900 "Items For The Auction of May 19th & 20th, 2006" HuntAuctions.com] February 25, 2010.</ref>

* ''[[Sesame Street-The Alphabet Game (Alphabet Treasure Hunt) (Game Show)]]'', "[[Alphabet Treasure Hunt)|1988 VHS]]": Big Bird, Dimples the Dog, and Gary Grouch compete on a game show hosted by GuySonny Friendly and. Big Bird brings back a Rabbitrabbit onin the round they must bring something back that starts with ‘R’'R', but the choice isn’tis not accepted as GuySonny Friendly calls the rabbit a “Bunny”."bunny". The episode ends with Dimples the Dog barking, which sounds like “Roof”"roof", to the question “what"What is the top part of a house called?”" Later on, a flustered Big Bird says the dog would answer "roof" even to the question “Who"Who was the best playeroutfielder the Yankees ever had”had", in which case the Rabbitrabbit responds, “DiMaggio"DiMaggio!!!”"