- He was born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio on November 25, 1914 in Martinez, CA. 8th of 9 children
- He went to Galileo High School in San Francisco
- Two of his brothers, Dom and Vince, also played in the Major Leagues
- He played his first professional game at age 17 in the tough Pacific Coast League
- In three full minor leagues seasons with San Francisco he batted .340, .341 and .398
- He was traded from San Francisco to the Yankees November 21, 1934 for 5 players and $25,000
- His rookie salary was $8500, but it went to $15,000 the next year
- Due to a spring injury, he didn’t make his Major League debut until May 3 of 1936
- He missed being teammates with Babe Ruth by two seasons; was Lou Gehrig’s teammate for 4.
- He wore number 9 as a rookie before switching to number 5.
- His rookie year one of the best in baseball history – .323/29/125 and led league with 15 triples
- 1936-1942: played every inning of every All-Star Game
- Had ten top-10 finishes in MVP voting in his 13 year career; won three times.
- Made All-Star team every season in the big leagues
- Drove in over 100 runs in his first seven season, and nine of first ten
- Reached career high of 46 homers in his sophomore year
- Led league in runs scored once, 151 in 151 games in 1937
- Had 206 hits in 138 games in his rookie season
- Stole only 30 bases in his career with a high of six in 1938
- Part of 1939 Yankees, one of greatest teams in baseball history
- Played for 10 pennant winners in 13 years and 9 world champions
- Hit eight World Series home runs, but none in Yankee Stadium
- Was in World Series in each of his first four seasons
- Hit 361 home runs for Yankees, and had 369 strikeouts
- Season high in strikeouts was 39 in his rookie year
- Career high in RBIs was 167 in 151 games, 1937
- Led league in homers twice, 46 in 1937 and 39 in 1948
- 56-game hitting streak in 1941 ran May 15-July 16
- During streak, batted .408 with 15 homers, 55 RBIs. Struck out only five times.
- 22 of the games in the streak were multi-hit games
- Had a hit in the All-Star Game during the streak (not counted as part of streak)
- Famous drive caught by Al Gionfriddo in 1947 WS would have been his only YS WS homer
- First $100,000 salary player
- Family established DiMaggio’s Restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf in SF; run by brother Tom
- Lived at 2150 Beach Street in San Francisco for much of adult life
- Voted into Hall of Fame in 1955 – on his third try
- 5th all-time in home runs at time of retirement
- Married two actresses, Dorothy Arnold (had Joe Jr, a son), and Marilyn Monroe
- Hosted pre-game Yankees television show on WPIX after retirement
- Attended 46 of 47 Old Timers Days after retirement; missed one after pacemaker surgery
- Final at bat in a Yankee Old Timers Day – 1975
- Author of “Lucky to be a Yankee” , “Baseball for Everyone” and “The DiMaggio Albums”
- Portion of New York’s West Side Highway named in his honor
- Helped establish coffee makers as standard in American homes
- Coached for Oakland A’s, 1968-69
- Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Three seasons in military service with Army Air Corps during World War II
- 1949 – returned from bone spur injury, 65 missed games, to hit 4 HRs in series at Fenway Park
- Joe DiMaggio Day in 1949 – “I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.”
- Dec. 11, 1951 retirement. “If I can’t do it right, I don’t want to play any longer.”
- Name including in Ernest Hemingway novel and Paul Simon lyric
- “Joe, Joe DiMaggio” recorded by Les Brown, released in 1941
- Voted “Greatest Living Player” in 1969 centennial of pro baseball poll
- Monument dedicated in Yankees’ Monument Park in 1999
- Was on Board of Directors of Baltimore Orioles during ownership of Edward Bennett Williams
- Died March 8, 1999 in Hollywood, FL, same facility as Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
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