|
|
|
|
|
Career Totals: AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO .325 1736 6821 1390 2214 389 131 361 1537 790 369 |
DiMaggio was bought by the Yankees in 1936. A disc jockey wrote
a hit song called "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio." A Cincinnati high school
class was asked to name the greatest American of all time; George
Washington finished second to DiMaggio. After his return from military service, DiMaggio had a sub-par
1946, hitting only .290. The next spring, he was almost traded
for Williams. (The deal fell through when Boston also asked for
Yogi Berra.) DiMaggio responded by winning his third MVP award
in 1947 and blasting two home runs in the World Series. On February 7, 1949, DiMaggio became the first $100,000 ballplayer
and, despite serious injuries, helped the Yanks win the pennant.
In 1951 he retired with a .325 career batting average, having
played on All-Star teams in every year of major league service.
He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1955. Despite serving on the boards of the A's and Orioles, a turbulent
marriage to Marilyn Monroe, commercials for banks and coffeemakers,
and an involvement in signing memorabilia for profit, DiMaggio
retains his aura of heroism. In 1989 former All-Star outfielder
Andy Pafko said, "Even today I look up to him. And he's never
disappointed me."
