A Glorious Era Comes to an End: Joe DiMaggio Bids Farewell to the Baseball World, December 11, 1951!

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A Glorious Era Comes to an End: Joe DiMaggio Bids Farewell to the Baseball World, December 11, 1951!

Sixty-five years ago today, an emotional, tearful Joe DiMaggio closed the book on one of the greatest chapters in baseball history, saying “I can no longer produce for my ball club, my manager, my teammates, and my fans the sort of baseball their loyalty to me deserves.” Modestly admitting that he“no longer has it,” the 37-year old Yankee Clipper rejected Yankee owner Dan Topping’s $100,000 offer to play one more year.

As we reflect back on that day, let’s read a few quotes from his contemporaries, giving us – who unfortunately never saw him play – a wonderful glimpse into how the baseball world at the time viewed him:

“I came in here and a fella asked me to have a drink. I said I don’t drink. Then another fella said ‘I hear you and Joe DiMaggio aren’t speaking,’ and I said ‘I’ll take that drink!’ ” – Yankee manager Casey Stengel

“Joe did everything so easily…You never saw him fall down or go diving for a ball. He didn’t have to. He just where the ball was hit and he went and got it.” –Yankee manager Joe McCarthy

“There never was a guy like DiMaggio in baseball. Everyone wanted to meet Joe, to touch him, to be around him. Joe was a legitimate hero…the way he plays, the way he works, the way he is, the way other people related to him…Joe could halt business on Fifth Avenue by walking down the street.” Toots Shor, New York Restaurateur.

“There was never a day when I was as good as Joe DiMaggio at his best. Joe was the best, the very best, I ever saw.” –Stan Musial

“Players just watched what he did and tried to imitate him. Everyone gravitated to him. Everyone wanted to be like him.” –Phil Rizzuto

“I never saw him look bad and he made everything look so easy.” – Ted Williams

“Heroes are all good with no bad in them. That’s the way I always saw Joe DiMaggio. He was beyond question one of the greatest players of the century.” -Mickey Mantle

“When I sat at a table with Joe and other people…all the men were looking at him!” – Marilyn Monroe

Over his 13 seasons in the majors, broken up by military service, Joe hit .325 with 2214 hits, 361 home runs, and 1537 RBIs. He was a 13-time All-Star, nine-time World Series champion, and three-time American League MVP. Joe was also a marvelous defensive center fielder in his prime. Of course, his greatest record is the 56-game consecutive hitting streak from 1941, a record that may never be broken. He was selected for the All-Century team, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.

Here’s a few excerpts from one of my earlier posts about Joe’s phenomenal year of 1941, one of the greatest individual seasons in baseball history:

“While Joe DiMaggio was no stranger to being the star of an always-impressive Yankee team, 1941 was even more special than usual.1941 was the last, and possibly the greatest, year of baseball’s Golden Age before World War II depleted the major league rosters: Ted Williams hit .406; the Dodgers won their first pennant since 1920; and, on a sad note, the great Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2. But, without doubt, the crowning event that will always mark 1941 as a special year was “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio’s amazing 56-game hitting streak.

“The streak,” as it came to be known, added to the legend of the great DiMaggio and propelled him permanently into American folk lore. It began innocently enough on May 15, 1941. On that day, Joe went 1-4 with a RBI against Eddie Smith and the White Sox. From that day until July 16, an amazing 56 games later, DiMaggio hit safely in every game, setting a record that stands as one of the greatest achievements in sports’ history. On July 17, Indians’ third baseman Ken Keltner and shortstop Lou Boudreau made terrific plays to rob DiMaggio of at least two hits, ending the streak.

DiMaggio hit .409 in 223 at-bats during the streak with 91 hits including 56 runs scored, 55 RBIs, 16 doubles, 15 home runs, and four triples. He had 160 total bases. Remarkably, he struck out only seven times. DiMaggio propelled the Yankees to a 41-13 record for a stunning .759 percentage. The day after it ended, he started another one against Bob Feller that lasted 16 games. Over the two streaks, DiMaggio batted safely in 72 of 73 games. From May 2, he had been on base in 83 consecutive games. DiMaggio had pulled his team out of an early season slump and led them to the pennant, 17 games ahead of Red Sox, and then to a World Series championship.

And how about the season that Joe D put together! He hit .357 that year, and led the league with 125 RBIs and 348 total bases. He banged out 193 hits, with 30 home runs, 122 runs, 43 doubles, 11 triples, and only 13 strikeouts the entire year. He also compiled an unheard-of .440 on-base percentage and .643 slugging average. DiMaggio won the Most Valuable Player Award, beating out Williams by 291-254 in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.”

We may never see his likes again!

-Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: The New York Yankees Illustrated History; and Public Domain; Colorizations in gallery by Don Stokes: https://www.facebook.com/Don-Stokes-Old-Time-Baseball-Colorizations-923346241033508/

Information Edited from the same source; and from Baseball Almanac article on Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats3.shtml; and from the Joe DiMaggio Wikipedia page

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