Dom DiMaggio

Dom DiMaggio
Dom DiMaggio
	Center fielder
	Born:February 12, 1917; San Francisco, California,U.S.
	Died:May 8, 2009(aged 92); Marion, Massachusetts,U.S.
	Batted:Right Threw:Right
MLB debut
	April 16, 1940, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
	May 9, 1953, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.298
Home runs	87
Runs batted in	618
	StatsatBaseball Reference
Teams
	Boston Red Sox(1940–1942,1946–1953);
Career highlights and awards
	7×All-Star(1941,1942,1946,1949–1952); AL stolen base leader(1950); Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame;

Dominic Paul DiMaggio(February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009), nicknamed "the Little Professor",was an AmericanMajor League Baseball center fielder.He played his entire 11-year baseball career for theBoston Red Sox(1940–1953). DiMaggio was the youngest of three brothers who each became major league center fielders, the others beingJoeandVince.

Biography

An effectiveleadoff hitter,DiMaggiobatted.300 four times and led theAmerican Leagueinrunstwice and intriplesandstolen basesonce each. He also led AL center fielders inassiststhree times and inputoutsanddouble playstwice each; he tied a league record by recording 400 putouts four times, and his 1948 totals of 503 putouts and 526total chancesstood as AL records for nearly 30 years. DiMaggio's 1,338 games in center field ranked eighth in AL history at his retirement. His 34-gamehitting streakin 1949 remains a record for the major-league Red Sox.^[1]

A 1950Bowman Gum baseball cardof Dom DiMaggio

DiMaggio was the youngest of three brothers who grew up inNorth Beach, San Franciscoand who had each become major league center fielders.^[2]Joewas a star with the rivalNew York Yankees,andVinceplayed for fiveNational Leagueteams. The youngest of nine children born toSicilianimmigrants, Dom's small stature (5'9 ") and eyeglasses earned him the nickname" The Little Professor. "^[3]

DiMaggio broke into the minor leagues in 1937 with theSan Francisco Sealsof thePacific Coast League.For the 1939 season, DiMaggio recorded a.360 batting average.^[4]Following this season, the Boston Red Sox purchased DiMaggio's contract for $75,000.^[5]In his1940rookie season, he hit.301, becoming part of a.300-hitting outfield withTed WilliamsandDoc Cramer.In both 1941 and 1942 he scored over 100 runs to finish third in the AL, and was among the league's top ten players indoublesand steals; he was named anAll-Starboth years.

After missing three years serving in theNavyin World War II, DiMaggio returned in1946with his best season yet, batting.316 to place fifth in the league, and coming in ninth in theMVPvoting as Boston won its first pennant in 28 years. Batting third, he hit only.259 in the1946 World Seriesagainst theSt. Louis Cardinals,but was almost a Series hero for Boston. With two out in the eighth inning of Game 7, he doubled to drive in two runs, tying the score 3-3; but he pulled his hamstring coming into second base, and had to be removed for a pinch runner. The result was costly, asHarry Walkerdoubled to center field in the bottom of the inning, withEnos Slaughterscoring from first base in his famed "Mad Dash"to win the game and Series for St. Louis; had DiMaggio remained in the game, Walker's hit might have been catchable, or the outfielder's strong arm might have held Slaughter to third base." If they hadn't taken DiMaggio out of the game ", Slaughter later said of his daring sprint," I wouldn't have tried it. "

After a disappointing offensive year in 1947, DiMaggio rebounded in 1948 to score 127 runs (second in the AL) with career highs in doubles (40),runs batted in(87) andwalks(101). His 503 putouts brokeBaby Doll Jacobson's AL record of 484, set with the1924 St. Louis Browns;his 526 total chances surpassed the league mark of 498 shared bySam Riceof the1920 Washington Senatorsand Jacobson. At the time, the marks ranked behind onlyTaylor Douthit's totals of 547 and 566 with the1928Cardinals in major league history; both records stood until1977,whenChet Lemonof theChicago White Soxrecorded 512 putouts and 536 total chances. In 1949 DiMaggio batted.307 with 126 runs, and had his team-record 34-game hitting streak; ironically, the streak was ended on August 9 by an outstanding catch made by his brother Joe and also ironically,Vic Raschibook-ended the streak as Dom went hitless against Raschi the game before his 34-game hitting streak.. That year he made 400 putouts for the fourth time, tying the AL record held bySam Westof the Senators and Browns; the mark was later tied by two other players before being broken by Lemon in1985.

Dom at bat in the early 1950s

In1950,DiMaggio led the AL in runs (131), triples (11) and stolen bases (15) while hitting a career-high.328. On June 30, he and Joe hithome runswhile playing against one another, becoming the fourth pair of brothers to homer in the same game. Dom's stolen base total of 15 is the lowest stolen base total to lead either of the Major Leagues in a single season.^[6]In August of that year, he had 53 base hits, tying a club record with teammateJohnny Pesky.

DiMaggio again led the league in runs (113) in1951,when he had a 27-game hitting streak from May 12 to June 7. He retired in May1953,after appearing in only three games that year as a pinch hitter, with a.298 batting average, 1680hits,308 doubles, 57 triples, 87 home runs, 1046 runs and 618 RBI in 1399 games. DiMaggio was selected an All-Star seven times (1941–42, 1946, 1949–52). His career average of 2.9 chances per game remains the record for AL outfielders.^[7]

DiMaggio enjoyed a close friendship with teammatesTed Williams,Bobby Doerr,andJohnny Pesky,which was chronicled inDavid Halberstam's bookThe Teammates.The four were later honored withThe Teammatesstatue outsideFenway Park.^[8]

After retiring, he became a plastics manufacturer in New England. He and his wife Emily, whom he married in 1948, had two sons, Paul and Peter; a daughter, Emily, and several grandchildren.^[9]

WriterDavid Halberstamdescribed Dom as "probably the most underrated player of his day."^[10]

Life after baseball

After his retirement from professional baseball in 1953, DiMaggio formed the American Latex Fiber Corporation, which produced padding for items such as automobile seats and furniture. DiMaggio would eventually purchase an automotive supply firm and would merge it with American Latex Fiber Corporation to form the Delaware Valley Corporation.^[11]

In 1959, DiMaggio joined forces with nine other New Englanders, led byBilly Sullivan,to found and capitalize a BostonAmerican footballteam that debuted in 1960 as theAFL'sBoston Patriots.^[12]DiMaggio's tenure as an owner of the Patriots was not an easy one, his disputes with Sullivan would lead him to once attempt to oust him as president. Eventually, DiMaggio would sell his stock in the Boston Patriots in August 1966 for $500,000, earning DiMaggio a profit of $400,000 from his initial investment of $100,000.^[13]

After the death of Red Sox ownerTom Yawkeyin July 1976, DiMaggio was a part of a group which included his brother Joe, Red Sox General ManagerDick O'Connell,San Francisco MayorJoseph Alioto,and insurance magnate Bernard Baldwin, which sought to obtain ownership of the Red Sox. The attempt fell through after Tom Yawkey's widow,Jean Yawkey,chose to retain ownership.^[14]

In 1979, DiMaggio was named a member of the board of trustees atSaint Anselm CollegeinGoffstown, New Hampshire.^[15]He served under college president Fr.Jonathan DeFeliceand helped lead the college through four decades of expansion. DiMaggio was awarded an honorary degree by the college in 1981, and his wife Emily received one in 1999.^[15]

DiMaggio was inducted into theBoston Red Sox Hall of Famein 1995.^[16]

Military service

After the 1942 season, DiMaggio enlisted in theUnited States Navywith initial service atNaval Station Treasure Islandin San Francisco, California.^[17]He deployed to Australia and the Philippines duringWorld War II.While stationed in Australia, he andPhil Rizzutoflew toHonoluluto play in the 1944 Army–Navy World Series.^[18]^[19]He also played for theNorfolk Naval Training Stationteam.^[20]He was discharged in 1945 as achief petty officer.

Death

DiMaggio died on May 8, 2009, at his home inMarion, Massachusetts.^[21]He was 92 years old and had been suffering frompneumonia.^[22]Hisrequiem masswas celebrated by his friend Fr.Jonathan DeFeliceat St. Paul's Catholic Church inWellesley, Massachusetts.^[15]

References

^Couture, Jon (August 14, 2021)."Worcester's Yairo Muñoz runs hit streak to 35 games, breaking a 70-year-old Red Sox record".The Boston Globe.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
^Mark Pratt (May 8, 2009)."Former Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio dies".MetroWest Daily News.Associated Press. Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2024.RetrievedApril 3,2024.
^"Dom DiMaggio Dies at 92; Played in His Brother's Shadow",May 8, 2009,New York Times
^Jacobs, Martin; MacGuire, Jack (2005).San Francisco Seals.Charleston, South Carolina:Arcadia Publishing.p. 60.ISBN 0-7385-2985-0.
^Cohen, Robert W. (2018).The 50 Greatest Players in Boston Red Sox History.Guilford, Connecticut:Lyons Press.p. 143.ISBN 9781608939909.
^The editors of the Sporting News (1992).Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts.St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News Publishing Co.ISBN 0-88365-785-6..
^Ostler, Scott (September 5, 2021)."It's time for Dom DiMaggio to step out of the shadows and into Hall of Fame spotlight".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedApril 19,2023.
^"'Teammates' unveiled ".ESPN.June 9, 2010.
^"Red Sox great Dom DiMaggio dies".
^"Former Red Sox star Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".The Boston Globe.May 8, 2009.
^Baldassaro, Lawrence (2011).Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball.Lincoln, Nebraska:University of Nebraska Press.p. 221.ISBN 978-0-8032-1705-8.
^Fox, Larry (1979).The New England Patriots.New York:Atheneum.p. 37.ISBN 978-0-689-10992-8.
^Stout, Glenn; Johnson, Richard A. (2018).The Pats: An Illustrated History of The New England Patriots.Boston:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.p. 61.ISBN 978-1-328-91740-9.
^Golenbock, Peter (2015).Red Sox Nation: The Rich and Colorful History of the Boston Red Sox(4th ed.). Chicago, Illinois:Triumph Books.pp.384–385.ISBN 978-1-62937-050-7.
^^a ^b ^cLeblanc, Barbara (May 8, 2009)."Dom DiMaggio, Trustee Emeritus, Dies at Age 92".anselm.edu.Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2021.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
^"Red Sox Hall of Fame | Boston Red Sox".MLB.RetrievedApril 24,2023.
^Hirshberg, Aland McKenney, Joe.Tenth Series of Famous American Athletes of Today,L. C. Page and Company, Boston, August 1947, page 61.
^Bedingfield, Gary."Service Games in the Pacific 1944",Baseball in Wartimewebsite, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
^Elias, Robert.The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy and Promoted the American Way Abroad,The New Press,New York, 2010, page 148.ISBN 9781595581952.
^Donnelly, Marea."The other DiMaggio, was an eclipsed talent called The Professor",The Daily Telegraph,February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
^"Former Red Sox great Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".Associated Press.May 8, 2009.^{[dead link‍]}
^"Former Red Sox star Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".

External links

Career statistics fromMLB,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
Dom DiMaggioat theSABR Baseball Biography Project
Dom DiMaggioatIMDb
Dom DiMaggioatFind a Grave

[1] Couture, Jon (August 14, 2021)."Worcester's Yairo Muñoz runs hit streak to 35 games, breaking a 70-year-old Red Sox record".The Boston Globe.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.

[2] Mark Pratt (May 8, 2009)."Former Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio dies".MetroWest Daily News.Associated Press. Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2024.RetrievedApril 3,2024.

[3] "Dom DiMaggio Dies at 92; Played in His Brother's Shadow",May 8, 2009,New York Times

[4] Jacobs, Martin; MacGuire, Jack (2005).San Francisco Seals.Charleston, South Carolina:Arcadia Publishing.p. 60.ISBN 0-7385-2985-0.

[5] Cohen, Robert W. (2018).The 50 Greatest Players in Boston Red Sox History.Guilford, Connecticut:Lyons Press.p. 143.ISBN 9781608939909.

[6] The editors of the Sporting News (1992).Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts.St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News Publishing Co.ISBN 0-88365-785-6..

[7] Ostler, Scott (September 5, 2021)."It's time for Dom DiMaggio to step out of the shadows and into Hall of Fame spotlight".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedApril 19,2023.

[8] "'Teammates' unveiled ".ESPN.June 9, 2010.

[9] "Red Sox great Dom DiMaggio dies".

[10] "Former Red Sox star Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".The Boston Globe.May 8, 2009.

[11] Baldassaro, Lawrence (2011).Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball.Lincoln, Nebraska:University of Nebraska Press.p. 221.ISBN 978-0-8032-1705-8.

[12] Fox, Larry (1979).The New England Patriots.New York:Atheneum.p. 37.ISBN 978-0-689-10992-8.

[13] Stout, Glenn; Johnson, Richard A. (2018).The Pats: An Illustrated History of The New England Patriots.Boston:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.p. 61.ISBN 978-1-328-91740-9.

[14] Golenbock, Peter (2015).Red Sox Nation: The Rich and Colorful History of the Boston Red Sox(4th ed.). Chicago, Illinois:Triumph Books.pp.384–385.ISBN 978-1-62937-050-7.

[Leblanc-15] Leblanc, Barbara (May 8, 2009)."Dom DiMaggio, Trustee Emeritus, Dies at Age 92".anselm.edu.Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2021.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.

[16] "Red Sox Hall of Fame | Boston Red Sox".MLB.RetrievedApril 24,2023.

[17] Hirshberg, Aland McKenney, Joe.Tenth Series of Famous American Athletes of Today,L. C. Page and Company, Boston, August 1947, page 61.

[18] Bedingfield, Gary."Service Games in the Pacific 1944",Baseball in Wartimewebsite, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2020.

[19] Elias, Robert.The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy and Promoted the American Way Abroad,The New Press,New York, 2010, page 148.ISBN 9781595581952.

[20] Donnelly, Marea."The other DiMaggio, was an eclipsed talent called The Professor",The Daily Telegraph,February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2020.

[21] "Former Red Sox great Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".Associated Press.May 8, 2009.^{[dead link‍]}

[22] "Former Red Sox star Dom DiMaggio dies at 92".

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