Joe DiMaggio

Background

Joe DiMaggio was born Joseph Paul DiMaggio on November 25, 1914, in Martinez, California. He was one of baseball’s most iconic stars and his was a name even today’s young generation recognizes. His parents, Giuseppe and Rosalia, were immigrants from Sicily. The family moved to San Francisco when DiMaggio was a toddler. He picked up baseball at the age of 10 and left formal schooling after completing junior high school. DiMaggio began playing baseball semi-professionally in 1931.

The athlete made his professional baseball debut the following year, playing for the San Francisco Seals. His contract was purchased by the New York Yankees in 1934 although he remained with the San Francisco Seals for another year before moving over to the New York Yankees and was named the minor league’s most valuable player (M.V.P.) before switching teams. He made his baseball major league debut with the New York Yankees in 1936 and earned his third most valuable player award the following year.

In 1949, he signed a $100,000 contract with the New York Yankees, which made him the first player to reach $100,000 in earnings at the time. DiMaggio retired from playing baseball professionally in 1951 at the age of 37, owing in large part to a series of injuries he had sustained during his professional baseball career. About his retirement announcement, DiMaggio said, “I have reached the stage where I can no longer produce…When baseball is no longer fun, it’s no longer a game, and so, I’ve played my last game.” Four years later, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1969, he was named baseball’s greatest living player. Briefly married to Hollywood movie star Marilyn Monroe, he died on March 8, 1999 — a victim of lung cancer.