“DiMaggio Stars In the 1943 All-Star Game!” And no…I’m not talking about Joe!

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“DiMaggio Stars In the 1943 All-Star Game!”

And no…I’m not talking about Joe!

As we approach the 2018 All-Star break, I started thinking about other memorable Midsummer Classics. I happened to stumble onto details of the 1943 game which was won by the American League, 5-3. It was the first night game in All Star history and was played at Shibe Park. As I read more, I found I was in for a real surprise. I had assumed (as maybe you did, too) that the “DiMaggio star” was the great Joe DiMaggio. But I was wrong…

It was his older brother, the often-overlooked Vince DiMaggio. In that game, Vince – playing for the Pirates – went 3-3, with a single, triple, and home run in the National League’s losing effort.

In the feaured photo above, we see a beautiful colorization of Vince DIMaggio from 1938 with the Boston Bees by Don Stokes. Click on the link to see a nice photo tribute to Vince and the three the DiMaggio brothers: 

I thought is a a good time to say a few words about Vince. A while back, I wrote an essay about the DiMaggio brothers. Here’s some excerpts. At the end, I asked, “Which of the DiMaggio brothers ultimately was the most successful in life?” See what you think.

Vince and Dom DiMaggio were largely overshadowed by their famous brother. That Joe was one of the greatest ballplayers of all time is hardly in dispute. How many baseball fans even know that Joe DiMaggio had an older brother, Vince, who played ten years in the major leagues finishing in the Top 10 in home runs in the National League six times? More than 350 sets of brothers have played in the major leagues, but the only three brothers to have been All Stars are the DiMaggio’s, with a total of 18 selections: Vince (2); Joe (9); and Dom (7).

During a respectable ten year career (1937-’46) Vince, who was noted for his speed, occasional power, and outstanding defense, played for the Bees, Reds, Pirates, Phillies, and Giants. He batted .246 with 125 home runs, and 584 RBIs. In 1941 he had a career high 21 homers and 100 RBI, and was a National League All Star each of the next two seasons. The Phillies acquired him for the 1945 season and he responded with 19 homers and 84 RBIs at age 32. He still holds the Phillies record for grand slam home runs in a season with four.

After baseball, Vince – without the benefit of lucrative endorsements and speaking engagements that came to his famous brother – of necessity took on a number of odd jobs: bartender, liquor salesman, carpenter, and finally Fuller Brush salesman. He spent his spare time fishing, gardening, and studying the Bible. He was said to have found “inner peace” later in life; and his only disappointment was he had lost touch with his brother, Joe. Vince once said of him:

“Joe’s always been a loner and he always will be. When the folks were alive we were a lot closer. It’s only a shame that we have gone such different ways. That’s real sad. Family should stick together.”

Although surpassed on the playing field by their Hall-of-Fame brother, both Vince and Dom far outshined him in an area of much greater significance: family, with both enjoying long successful marriages with loving wives and children. Quite different from the post-baseball life of their reclusive brother Joe: Hollywood glitter, multiple broken marriages, and estranged children.

So ultimately the question becomes: Which of the DiMaggio brothers was the most successful in life? I guess it depends what your values are. Vince died at his home in 1986 at age 74, survived by Madelyne – his loving wife of more than fifty years – and his two children.

-Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: Featured photo of Vince DiMaggio colorized by Don Stokes; All others found on Google Search

Information: Excerpts edited from the DiMaggio brothers’ Wikipedia pages.  Statistics from the Vince DiMaggio Baseball-Reference page.

Check out my two books, both now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback:  “Paul Pryor in His Own Words: The Life and TImes of a 20-Year Major League Umpire” and “Memorable World Series Moments.” All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation

https://www.facebook.com/Don-Stokes-Old-Time-Baseball-Colorizations-923346241033508/