Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio

Birthdate	11/25/1914
Death Date	3/8/1999
Debut Year	1936
Year of Induction	1955
Teams	Yankees
Position	Center Field

During WWII, Joe DiMaggio’s parents were classified as “enemy aliens” and forbidden to travel more than 5 miles from their home without a permit.

The Yankees signed DiMaggio after he hit .398 for the PCL's San Francisco Seals

Joe DiMaggio was a a four-year veteran of the Pacific Coast League when Ed Barrow came calling on behalf of the Yankees. DiMaggio was playing for his hometown San Francisco Seals, coming off a 1935 season in which he hit .398. It would take a lot to persuade the young DiMaggio to leave a seemingly p

The Yankees won 4 World Series before Joe DiMaggio joined them; he helped them win 9 more

Joe DiMaggio had a championship run never before seen in baseball history. When he joined the New York Yankees, the franchise had four World Series titles to their credit. In his 13-year run with the club they added 9 more. DiMaggio broke in with New York in the 1936 season. The Bronx Bombers were l

DiMaggio remained in the public eye after his retirement from baseball

The iconic Joe DiMaggio remained in the public eye after leaving the game in 1951. Three years after hanging up his spikes he married Marilyn Monroe. Though the pair remained close until Monroe’s death in 1961, the starlet filed for divorce just nine months after tying the knot. The 1968 Simon

The Yankee Clipper slugged a key 2-run homer in Game 3 of the 1939 World Series

Joe DiMaggio earned his fourth-straight All Star appearance and his first MVP Award in 1939. The batting champ hit a career-high .381 with 30 homers and 126 runs batted in. In the postseason DiMaggio’s Yankees faced the Cincinnati Reds. After winning the first two games, the Yankees found them

Two of the greatest catches in World Series play came of the bats of DiMaggio & Vic Wertz

Who made the greatest catch in World Series history? Historians and fans alike debate the question. Some say it was Al Gionfriddo’s grab of Joe DiMaggio’s shot down the left field line in the 1947 World Series. Others maintain that Willie Mays’ catch off of the bat of ClevelandR

Joe DiMaggio's drive in 1947 resulted in one of the greatest plays in World Series history

Few catches in World Series history rival Willie Mays’ over-the-shoulder grab of Vic Wertz’ drive in 1954. One of the few that are in the conversation is Al Gionfriddo’s effort in the ’47 Fall Classic. It happened in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Gionfriddo’s Brooklyn Dodgers built an 8-5 lead

A Story about Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio’s 1939 October blast left an impression on the baseball lifer who surrendered it

October 7th, 2018 Leave a comment

Pro career starts at age 17 Gene Thompson enjoyed a pro baseball career that spanned parts of eight decades. Signed by the Reds as a 17-year old in 1935, Thompson played until 1950. Two years later at age 35, he embarked on a scouting career that lasted until after his 88th birthday. The highlight of his playing career came in his first year as a Major Leaguer in 1939. Debuting as a 21-year old, Thompson excelled in his role as the Reds swingman, going 13-5 with a 2.54 ERA in 11 starts and 31 relief appearances. Thompson wasn’t the only stellar performer. The Reds got 27 wins from MVP Bucky Walters and a league-leading 128 RBI from first baseman Frank McCormick. Cincinnati won 97 games to earn the National League pennant. Thompson’s Reds face the Yankees in October In the World Series, Cincinnati squared off against Joe McCarthy’s heavily-favored Yankees. After dropping the first two games in New York, the Reds tabbed Thompson to start Game 3 in Cincinnati. A win by the home team would put the Reds back in the thick of things; a loss would put them in a 3-0 hole against the two-time defending champs. In […]