| Birth: | Nov. 25, 1914 | | Death: | Mar. 8, 1999 | 
Professional baseball player. He was born Giuseppe (Joseph) Paolo (Paul) DiMaggio, the eighth of nine children to Sicilian immigrants Giuseppe and Rosalie DiMaggio in the small fishing village of Martinez, California. After a move to San Francisco where fishing was deemed better, Dominic, the ninth was born. Joe, Dominic and older brother Vince were destined to become major league baseball players. His father supported the family, along with the help of his older sons, with a small fishing boat. During the second world war, Joe's parents were deemed, 'enemy aliens' and had to carry photo ID booklets at all times and not allowed to travel more than 5 miles from their home. Giuseppe's boat was seized and impounded for the duration of the war. Joe grew up playing sandlot baseball in the North Beach area of San Francisco. He never finished high school, instead he joined the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League when he was 17. DiMaggio was playing semi-pro ball when Vince, playing with the San Francisco Seals, talked his manager into letting his kid brother fill in at shortstop. Joe hit a home run his first time at bat. The following year, he electrified baseball with his play while hitting in 61 consecutive games. He tore the ligaments in his left knee in an ordinary street accident and faced a dismal baseball future as no Major League team showed any interest in a signing. However, the Yankees took a chance with the stipulation he remain another year with the Seals.
In an amazing 1934 season, he batted .398 with 154 RBI's and 34 HRs and the Seals won the Pacific Coast League title. He made his debut as a center fielder in 1936 batting ahead of Lou Gehrig. From a sensational rookie season, Dimaggio when on to a thirteen year career leading the Yankees to 10 pennants, nine World Series Championships and a record probably never to be surpassed...a 56-game hitting streak. He amassed 361 homers, averaged 118 RBI annually, compiled a .325 lifetime batting average, and struck out only 369 times while winning two batting crowns and three MVP awards. Mounting injuries contributed to a sub-par 1951 season. In the off-season he announced his retirement. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during the world war but his famous status forced the service to keep him out of harm's way. Joe spent his 31-month stint as a physical education instructor. As a high school dropout with limited social skills, his life revolved around baseball and his personal life was dismal.
Married twice, his first ended in divorce during the war years. A son Joe Jr., estranged from his father, died only months after being a pallbearer at his famous dad's funeral. The Yale educated son lived a vagabond life, homeless at times, dying in a Northern California junkyard. His second fabled marriage to Marilyn Monroe, opposed by his family, ended after only nine months and excommunication from the church. In his post season life, he worked for a time as a batting coach for the Yankees during spring training and then was employed as a military post-exchange supplier. Joe did a series of commercials for a bank and became a credible spokesperson for Mr. Coffee and the commercials were seen for years on National Television. He made many appearances on the Donna Reed Show. He was scheduled to throw out the first ball at Yankee Stadium, the season opener a month away. Joe never made the event, as he died of complications from lung cancer surgery at his home in Holly wood, Florida. His private funeral was held at the Church of St. Peters and Paul where he was first married. It is located in the Italian neighborhood of North Beach where he grew up and played baseball. Interment followed in the family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma. Fans in New York had a chance to bid him goodbye at a Memorial Mass at St Patrick's in Manhattan conducted by Cardinal O'Connor before a packed house overflowing with celebrities, including mayor Giuliani and Secretary of State Kissinger. At the urging of Cardinal O'Connor, New Yorkers again gave Joe DiMaggio a standing ovation.
Awards, honors and legacy...Known as the 'Yankee Clipper and Joltin Joe' he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. In 1969, DiMaggio was named the greatest living player at a gala celebrating baseball's 100th anniversary. In 1992, the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital opened in Miami, the result of millions of dollars raised by the former slugger. Memorialized in song: He was the subject in the song 'Bloody Mary' in the Broadway play 'South Pacific.' Les Brown recorded the hit 'Joltin Joe DiMaggio' during his famous hitting streak. Singers Simon and Garfunkel honored him in their song 'Mrs Robinson' in 1970, from "The Graduate." For his courage in playing hurt, Ernest Hemingway immortalized Joe in the novella, 'The Old Man and the Sea.' A marker to Joe was added to the famous baseball monument farm in center field in Yankee Stadium in 1999 while his famous number five was retired. (bio by: Donald Greyfield)
Cause of death: Lung cancer
Search Amazon for Joe DiMaggio | | | Burial:
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
Colma
San Mateo County
California, USA
Plot: Section I, Row 11 Area 6/7 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Mar 11, 1999
Find A Grave Memorial# 4701 |
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