1914
Born November 25, 1914
Martinez, CA, USA
Joe DiMaggio Marquee Hall of Fame 1955
b. November 25, 1914 · New York Yankees 1936–1942, 1946–1951
Joe DiMaggio played all 13 of his seasons for the Yankees and they won the World Series in nine of them. He batted .325 with 361 home runs and 1,537 runs batted in, was Most Valuable Player three times, and was chosen for an All-Star team in every season he played.
In 1941 he hit safely in 56 consecutive games between May and July. The previous record was 44, nobody since has passed 44, and the streak has become the standard example of a record that is not going to fall. He also struck out only 369 times in his whole career, against those 361 home runs.
He lost three seasons to military service in the Second World War and retired at 36 with his heels giving out. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955, and spent the decades afterwards as a kind of national monument, which by most accounts he did not enjoy.
Honors
| Award | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| All-Star selection | 13 | 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 |
| Baseball Magazine All-Star | 11 | 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950 |
| The Sporting News All-Star | 8 | 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1948 |
| Most Valuable Player | 3 | 1939, 1941, 1947 |
| The Sporting News Guide Most Valuable Player | 2 | 1939, 1941 |
| The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year | 1 | 1939 |
Batting, season by season
| Year | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | NYY | 138 | 637 | 132 | 206 | 44 | 15 | 29 | 125 | 24 | 39 | 4 | .323 |
| 1937 | NYY | 151 | 621 | 151 | 215 | 35 | 15 | 46 | 167 | 64 | 37 | 3 | .346 |
| 1938 | NYY | 145 | 599 | 129 | 194 | 32 | 13 | 32 | 140 | 59 | 21 | 6 | .324 |
| 1939 | NYY | 120 | 462 | 108 | 176 | 32 | 6 | 30 | 126 | 52 | 20 | 3 | .381 |
| 1940 | NYY | 132 | 508 | 93 | 179 | 28 | 9 | 31 | 133 | 61 | 30 | 1 | .352 |
| 1941 | NYY | 139 | 541 | 122 | 193 | 43 | 11 | 30 | 125 | 76 | 13 | 4 | .357 |
| 1942 | NYY | 154 | 610 | 123 | 186 | 29 | 13 | 21 | 114 | 68 | 36 | 4 | .305 |
| 1946 | NYY | 132 | 503 | 81 | 146 | 20 | 8 | 25 | 95 | 59 | 24 | 1 | .290 |
| 1947 | NYY | 141 | 534 | 97 | 168 | 31 | 10 | 20 | 97 | 64 | 32 | 3 | .315 |
| 1948 | NYY | 153 | 594 | 110 | 190 | 26 | 11 | 39 | 155 | 67 | 30 | 1 | .320 |
| 1949 | NYY | 76 | 272 | 58 | 94 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 67 | 55 | 18 | 0 | .346 |
| 1950 | NYY | 139 | 525 | 114 | 158 | 33 | 10 | 32 | 122 | 80 | 33 | 0 | .301 |
| 1951 | NYY | 116 | 415 | 72 | 109 | 22 | 4 | 12 | 71 | 61 | 36 | 0 | .263 |
| Career | — | 1736 | 6821 | 1390 | 2214 | 389 | 131 | 361 | 1537 | 790 | 369 | 30 | .325 |
On this day & linked events
1999
Died March 8, 1999
1936
Major-league debut: Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio made a major-league debut on May 3, 1936.
1937
Joe DiMaggio's Three-Home-Run Game, 1937
Joe DiMaggio hit three home runs for the New York Yankees against the St. Louis Browns on June 13, 1937.
1937
Joe DiMaggio Hits for the Cycle, 1937
Joe DiMaggio hit for the cycle for the New York Yankees against the Washington Senators on July 9, 1937.
1948
Joe DiMaggio Hits for the Cycle, 1948
Joe DiMaggio hit for the cycle for the New York Yankees against the Chicago White Sox on May 20, 1948.
1948
Joe DiMaggio's Three-Home-Run Game, 1948
Joe DiMaggio hit three home runs for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Indians on May 23, 1948.
1950
Joe DiMaggio's Three-Home-Run Game, 1950
Joe DiMaggio hit three home runs for the New York Yankees against the Washington Senators on September 10, 1950.
1951
Final major-league game: Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio played a final major-league game on September 30, 1951.
Image: Play Ball cards, published by Bowman Gum, public domain