King Dominick

King Dominick

Tribute to Joe Dimaggio

Early on the morning of March 8th, 1999, Joe DiMaggio died at the age of 84 after a terrible battle with lung cancer and pneumonia. At his bedside were his brother Dominick, two grandchildren, Joe Nacchio (a friend for 59 years) and Morris Engleberg, another long-time friend and his attorney. His body was later flown to San Francisco, for burial in his home town.

Joseph Paul DiMaggio, named for his father and his father’s favorite saint – Paul – was born on Nov 25, 1914. He grew up as one of nine children, just as the age of the Great Depression settled on this country.

As a child, he had to wear braces to correct a knock-kneed condition. He did not participate in organized sports until the age of 10 when he played softball. At 15, he gave up baseball and decided to focus his efforts on tennis. After two years, at the age of 17, he gave up on tennis and dropped out of high school to support his parents by earning a living at physical labor.

In 1932, at the urging of his second oldest brother Vince, Joe tried out for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. This was the highest level of baseball for that time west of St. Louis. Vince was already a member of that team and Joe played the last 3 games of the 1932 season and even tripled in his first at-bat. During the 1933 season, at 18 years old, Joe hit safely in 61 straight games for the Seals. He missed much of the 1934 season with an injury to his knee. In 1935, his last season with the Seals, he hit an amazing .398. It was in 1936 that he was signed by the Yankees, even though he had higher offers from the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. However, these two teams were too late, and thus, Joe became a Yankee where he would help them win the pennant in 10 of his 13 years and 8 World Sereis Championships.

The Yankees of his era signified graceful elegance. They came to the ballpark in 3-piece suits, cut hair and clean shaven. No tattoos back in those days and gaudy gang-like jewelry. They would beat you – and not get their uniforms dirty. And Joe would make things look easy – even exhibiting a gracefulness out in center field. His record of hitting safely in 56 consecutive games is remarkable. It is a record that many experts feel is the most untouchable in all of sports. And even though he posted gaudy numbers throughout his career, they might have even been moreso had he not served for his country during the peak of his career during World War II.

DiMaggio became the first Italian-American superstar in athletics and the first to be adored by the American public. He was a good-looking, well-dressed man who became an icon for dignity and grace and regularly appeared on the best-dressed lists of American men. He was a private man, and often-times painfully shy – which made him even more of a commodity to the public. He was a man who Italian-Americans could look up to and take great pride in. He did much to dispel and erase the previous “gangster” stereotypes fostered by Al Capone and the mafia.

His celebrity status even remained after his baseball days. In 1954, he married Marilyn Monroe, the most glamorous woman in Hollywood. The marriage lasted only 10 months, but it did much to capture the imagination of the nation, in a manner similar to how a king and queen would.

Monroe, who did not know of Joe as a ballplayer, entertained some military troops in South Korea during the couple’s honeymoon. Estatic from the reception she received, she said, “Joe, you never heard such cheering” and he replied “Oh yes, I have”.

He did gradually fade out of the limelight as he grew older. He became the spokesperson for Mr. Coffee and the Bowery Savings Bank. He remained in relatively good health, despite being a heavy smoker and would still make regular appearances at Yankee Stadium. But even after 50 years since wearing the Yankee pinstripes, he would still receive standing ovations at the stadium.

His last major public appearance was on the first game of the 1998 World Series. Some 30 years earlier, DiMaggio had his 10 World Sereis rings stolen from a hotel room. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner presented DiMaggio with duplicates of the 10 rings.

Not even a month later, DiMaggio was in the hospital battling for his life. In typical baseball fashion, he would rally and fade – only to rally again. He became disgusted with the press conferences held by his doctors in updating his condition, that he eventually put a “gag order” on the press releases. He finally gave out and went out quietly with the dignity that he deserved.

In a day when many of our sports “heroes” are criminals, thugs, and cry-babies, it is hard to imagine the character of a man such as Joe DiMaggio. His name will go down with many of the greats of this century such as Ruth, Ali, Brown, Bird and Jordan. He was nick-named the Clipper – in his day that meant winner. His name and spirit will be forever immortalized in Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea”. However, I think the Simon and Garfunkel song of “Mrs. Robinson” is never more appropriate when they sing “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you”. Rest in Peace, Joe.

About the Author

Larry Aiello is an Italian-American living in Florida that loves to share his knowledge of Italy. Visit his website for Italian travel-related information, tips, travel advice, recipes, community, etc . He is also a mortgage broker and offers consultation on home-buying and refinancing your mortgage through http://www.TampaMortgageConsultant.com.

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