Joe DiMaggio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe DiMaggio
DiMaggio with the New York Yankees in 1941
Center fielder
Born: (1914-11-25)November 25, 1914 Martinez, California, U.S.
Died: March 8, 1999(1999-03-08) (aged 84) Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
May 3, 1936, for the New York Yankees
Last appearance
September 30, 1951, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.325
Hits	2,214
Home runs	361
Runs batted in	1,537
Teams
As player New York Yankees (1936–1942, 1946–1951) As coach Oakland Athletics (1968–1969)
Career highlights and awards
13× All-Star (1936–1942, 1946–1951) 9× World Series champion (1936–1939, 1941, 1947, 1949–1951) 3× AL MVP (1939, 1941, 1947) 2× AL batting champion (1939, 1940) 2× AL home run leader (1937, 1948) 2× AL RBI leader (1941, 1948) MLB record 56-game hitting streak New York Yankees No. 5 retired Monument Park honoree Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1955
Vote	88.8% (fourth ballot)
Military career Allegiance United States Service/branch United States Army Air Forces Years of service 1943–1945 Rank Staff Sergeant

Joseph Paul DiMaggio (born November 25, 1914 – died March 8, 1999) was a famous American professional baseball player. People knew him by nicknames like "Joltin' Joe" and "the Yankee Clipper." He played his entire 13-year career as a center fielder for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). Many consider him one of the greatest baseball players ever.

DiMaggio set an amazing record with the longest hitting streak in MLB history, hitting safely in 56 consecutive games in 1941. He won the Most Valuable Player Award three times in the American League (AL). He was also an All-Star in every one of his 13 seasons. During his time with the Yankees, his team won nine World Series championships. Only his teammate Yogi Berra won more, with ten.

After he retired in 1951, DiMaggio was among the top players for career home runs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. His brothers Vince and Dom also played as center fielders in the major leagues. DiMaggio was also known for his marriage to the famous actress Marilyn Monroe.

Joe DiMaggio's Early Life and Baseball Start

Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born on November 25, 1914, in Martinez, California. He was the eighth of nine children. His parents, Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio, were Italian immigrants from Sicily. Joe's father, Giuseppe, was a fisherman, just like many generations of his family before him.

Joe's family moved to San Francisco when he was a toddler. His father hoped all his sons would become fishermen. However, Joe didn't like the smell of fish and wanted to avoid working on the boat. His father sometimes called him "lazy" because of this.

At age ten, Joe discovered baseball. He started playing third base at a playground near his home. Soon, he was so good that other teams paid him a few dollars to play for them. After middle school, Joe left high school and took on various odd jobs.

A baseball card of DiMaggio with the San Francisco Seals, c. 1933–36

By 1931, Joe was playing semi-pro baseball. In 1932, his older brother Vince, who played for the San Francisco Seals, convinced his manager to let Joe play. Joe made his professional debut on October 1, 1932. He quickly moved from playground games to the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which was just below the major leagues.

In his first full year, from May 27 to July 25, 1933, Joe hit safely in 61 games in a row. This was a PCL record and the second-longest in Minor League Baseball history. Joe said that baseball truly became important to him after this hitting streak.

In 1934, DiMaggio hurt his knee, which could have ended his career. But a Yankees scout, Bill Essick, believed he would recover. After Joe passed a physical exam, the Yankees bought him for $50,000 and five players. The Seals kept him for the 1935 season. That year, DiMaggio batted an amazing .398 with 154 runs batted in (RBIs) and 34 home runs. The Seals won the 1935 PCL title, and Joe was named the league's Most Valuable Player.

Joe DiMaggio's Major League Career with the Yankees

Joining the New York Yankees

DiMaggio made his Major League debut on May 3, 1936. He batted right before the legendary Lou Gehrig in the lineup. The Yankees had not won the World Series since 1932, but with DiMaggio, they won the next four World Series in a row. Over his 13-year career, DiMaggio led the Yankees to nine World Series championships. Only Yogi Berra won more, with ten.

In 1936, DiMaggio set a rookie record for the Yankees by hitting 29 home runs. He achieved this in 138 games. His record stood for over 80 years until Aaron Judge hit 52 home runs in 2017.

Seven of the American League's 1937 All-Star players: Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. All seven would eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame.

In 1937, DiMaggio had an even better season. He led all major league players with 46 home runs, 151 runs scored, 167 RBIs, and 418 total bases. These were all career highs for him. He also hit safely in 43 out of 44 games during that season.

The Yankee Clipper and MVP Awards

In 1939, Yankees announcer Arch McDonald gave DiMaggio the nickname "the Yankee Clipper." He compared Joe's speed and range in the outfield to a fast new airplane of the time. That year, DiMaggio had 53 RBIs in August, tying a record for most in a single month. He also won his first batting title and his first MVP award. The Yankees won their fourth consecutive World Series championship that year.

DiMaggio appeared with his son on the cover of the first issue of SPORT magazine in September 1946.

In 1947, DiMaggio won his third MVP award and his sixth World Series with the Yankees. There was a discussion about trading DiMaggio for Ted Williams, a great player from the Boston Red Sox, but it never happened.

Hank Greenberg, another famous player, said in 1949 that DiMaggio covered so much ground in center field that the only way to get a hit against the Yankees was "to hit 'em where Joe wasn't." DiMaggio also stole home five times in his career, which is a very exciting play.

Retirement and Legacy

On February 7, 1949, DiMaggio signed a contract worth $100,000. This made him the first baseball player to earn over $100,000 in a season.

DiMaggio in 1951, his last year in baseball

After the 1951 season, DiMaggio announced his retirement at age 37. He had been dealing with various injuries. He explained that he felt he could no longer perform at his best for his team. He said, "When baseball is no longer fun, it's no longer a game, and so, I've played my last game."

DiMaggio's home park, Yankee Stadium, was known for its very deep left and center fields. This made it harder for right-handed hitters like DiMaggio to hit home runs there. Many of his long hits that would have been home runs in other stadiums ended up as outs at Yankee Stadium.

DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle at Yankee Stadium in 1970, two years after Mantle's retirement

DiMaggio became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 and was inducted in 1955. After retiring as a player, he joined the Oakland Athletics as a vice president and coach in 1968 and 1969. He helped improve young players like Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, and Joe Rudi. These players later became key to the Athletics winning three World Series championships.

The Unforgettable 1941 Hitting Streak

DiMaggio kisses his bat in 1941, the year he hit safely in 56 consecutive games. His wife Dorothy Arnold was pregnant with their son Joe Jr. while the streak was in progress.

DiMaggio's most famous achievement is his MLB record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in 1941. A hitting streak means getting at least one hit in consecutive games. The streak began on May 15.

As DiMaggio got closer to George Sisler's modern-era record of 41 games, it became a national sensation. On June 29, 1941, DiMaggio tied Sisler's record and then broke it in the second game of a doubleheader. On July 2, he hit a home run to extend his streak to 45 games, setting a new all-time record.

DiMaggio continued his streak, reaching 50 straight games on July 11. The streak finally ended at 56 games on July 17, thanks to great defensive plays by Indians third baseman Ken Keltner. During the streak, DiMaggio batted an impressive .408, with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. The day after the streak ended, DiMaggio started another streak that lasted 16 games.

The closest anyone has come to DiMaggio's record is Pete Rose, who hit safely in 44 straight games in 1978. Many people consider DiMaggio's 56-game streak to be one of the most amazing and possibly unbreakable records in sports history.

Joe DiMaggio's Service in World War II

DiMaggio joined the United States Army Air Forces on February 17, 1943. He became a Staff Sergeant. He was stationed in places like California, Hawaii, and New Jersey, where he worked as a physical education instructor. He was released from service in September 1945.

During his military career, DiMaggio often played baseball for military teams and in exhibition games. He played alongside other Major Leaguers and minor league players. His fame meant he sometimes received special privileges.

His Parents as "Enemy Aliens"

Joe's parents, Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio, were among many German, Japanese, and Italian immigrants who were classified as "enemy aliens" by the government after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This meant they had to carry special ID booklets and could not travel far from home without permission. Joe's father was not allowed to fish in San Francisco Bay, where he had worked for decades, and his boat was taken away. Rosalia became an American citizen in 1945, and Giuseppe in 1946.

Joe DiMaggio's Marriages

Dorothy Arnold

In January 1937, DiMaggio met actress Dorothy Arnold. They married on November 19, 1939, in San Francisco. Their son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr., was born in 1941. The couple divorced in 1944 while DiMaggio was serving in World War II.

Marilyn Monroe

DiMaggio with wife Marilyn Monroe, January 1954

DiMaggio met the famous American actress Marilyn Monroe in Los Angeles. After dating for two years, they married in San Francisco on January 14, 1954. Both Monroe and DiMaggio expressed a desire to start a family.

Their marriage was short, lasting only nine months. They had disagreements due to their different lifestyles and careers. Monroe filed for divorce in October 1954. DiMaggio was very sad about the divorce and wrote to Monroe, expressing his love and desire to be with her. He later underwent therapy and expanded his interests beyond baseball.

DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe staying at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on their honeymoon

DiMaggio re-entered Monroe's life as her second marriage was ending. In February 1961, he helped her leave a clinic in Manhattan. She joined him in Florida, where he was a batting coach for the Yankees. They remained friends. In one of her last interviews, Monroe said, "I've always been able to count on Joe as a friend... I just like being with him and we have a better understanding than we've ever had."

Marilyn Monroe passed away on August 5, 1962. DiMaggio arranged her funeral service. He did not allow Hollywood celebrities or members of the Kennedy family to attend. For 20 years, he had red roses delivered to her burial place three times a week. He rarely spoke about her publicly and never married again. According to his attorney, Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio's last words were, "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."

Joe DiMaggio in Advertising and Television

1941 advertisement for Camel cigarettes featuring DiMaggio

In the 1970s, DiMaggio became a spokesman for Mr. Coffee, a brand of electric drip coffee makers. He was the face of their advertising campaigns for over 20 years. The commercials were very successful. The CEO of Mr. Coffee joked that "millions of kids grew up thinking Joe DiMaggio was a famous appliance salesman."

DiMaggio also became a spokesman for the Bowery Savings Bank in 1972. He regularly appeared in their commercials until 1992.

In April 1952, DiMaggio had 10-minute television programs in New York City before and after Yankees home games. He interviewed guests and shared his thoughts on baseball. He also hosted Joe DiMaggio's Dugout, a weekly show with instructional sessions and quizzes for young people.

Joe DiMaggio's Passing

DiMaggio's grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California

DiMaggio passed away on March 8, 1999, at the age of 84, after a long illness. He was at his home in Hollywood, Florida. As mentioned earlier, his attorney reported his last words were, "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."

DiMaggio's funeral was held on March 11, 1999, in San Francisco. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. His son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr., also passed away that same year, on August 6, at age 57.

Joe DiMaggio's Lasting Legacy

When DiMaggio passed away, The New York Times called his 1941 56-game hitting streak "perhaps the most enduring record in sports."

In 1981, DiMaggio showed kindness by babysitting a young girl at the San Francisco airport. This allowed the girl's mother, geneticist Mary-Claire King, to catch her flight. King later said that DiMaggio's help was crucial for her to get a major grant, which led to her discovery of the breast and ovarian cancer-causing gene BRCA1.

On September 17, 1992, the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital opened in Hollywood, Florida. DiMaggio helped raise over $4 million for the hospital.

DiMaggio's plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

On April 13, 1998, DiMaggio received the Sports Legend Award in New York City. This was one of his last public appearances.

On April 25, 1999, a monument was dedicated to DiMaggio at Yankee Stadium. The West Side Highway in New York City was also officially renamed The Joe DiMaggio Highway in his honor. The Yankees wore his number 5 on their uniforms during the 1999 season. He is ranked No. 11 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Fans also elected him to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

His number 5 was retired by the New York Yankees. The Florida Marlins also retired his number in honor of their first team president, Carl Barger, who loved DiMaggio.

In 2000, the North Beach playground in San Francisco, where Joe DiMaggio first played baseball as a boy, was renamed the Joe DiMaggio North Beach Playground.

In 2001, Major League Baseball launched an online game called "Beat the Streak." Players try to pick MLB players who will get a hit in 57 consecutive games to beat DiMaggio's record. As of August 2021, no one had reached even 52 consecutive hits in the game's history.

In May 2006, an auction of DiMaggio's personal items took place. Some highlights included the ball he hit to break the hitting-streak record, his 1947 Most Valuable Player Award, and a photograph Marilyn Monroe signed "I love you Joe."

Joe DiMaggio's number 5 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1952.

On August 8, 2011, the United States Postal Service announced that DiMaggio would appear on a stamp for the first time. It was part of the "Major League Baseball All-Star Stamp Series," released in July 2012.

DiMaggio often insisted on being introduced as the "Greatest Living Ballplayer" at events. He even playfully punched comedian Billy Crystal once for not introducing him that way.

In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored DiMaggio for his service in the United States Army Air Force during World War II.

The Joe DiMaggio Fields in his hometown of Martinez, California, are named after him. There is also a Joe DiMaggio Street in San Antonio, Texas.

Career Statistics

DiMaggio played in 10 World Series, winning 9 of them. His only loss was in the 1942 World Series. He batted .271 with 8 home runs and 30 RBI in 51 post-season games.

See also

In Spanish: Joe DiMaggio para niños

• List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career on-base percentage leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career OPS leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career slugging percentage leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise