Remembering Joltin' Joe
Posted: Monday March 08, 1999 11:05 AM
Joe DiMaggio singled out his spot in history
with power and grace not limited to a swing of the bat. There was an elegance to the man both on and off the field.
The same fluid moves that helped the Yankees
win nine World Championships during his 16-year career and those that made him a clubhouse
leader were just as much a part of DiMaggio after
his playing days.
Some fans chant and holler for their heroes, but a respectful standing ovation was always reserved for the Yankee Clipper. And while there were many such occasions, DiMaggio literally brought the world to its feet during the summer of 1941, when he started hitting on May 15 and didn't skip a beat until mid-July. A 56-game hitting streak, and a number that will forever be synonomous with DiMaggio.
And perhaps just as awesome but lost in the blur of the historic run is the fact that DiMaggio struck out only 13 times the entire
season. These days, that's a bad week for a
player. The '41 season also brought DiMaggio one of his threee American League Most Valuable Player awards, as he edged out Boston's Ted Williams in the season he hit .406. Fifty years later the two celebrated the anniversary, and no one had forgotten.
But at the time, no one could forget, or
ignore, World War II. DiMaggio served in the
Army and gave up three prime years of his playing career. He returned, and despite some nagging injuries, helped lead the Yankees to four World Championships in five years. "Joltin' Joe" never yearned to be a headline grabber, it's just that his actions spoke loud enough to warrant the attention. And the spotlight of the world fell on him again in January of 1954, when he married
movie star Marilyn Monore. The union only lasted briefly, but DiMaggio's love for Marilyn lasted through the years, as did the class and elegance that endeared him to the fans.
And that's how he's best remembered -- as all that was good in the game. Joe DiMaggio was the game.
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