1999
Death of the “Yankee Clipper”
Joseph Paul “Joe” DiMaggio (1914 –1999), aka “Joltin’ Joe” and “The Yankee Clipper” was born to an Italian immigrant family in San Francisco that produced three major league baseball centre-fielders. After a minor league career in the Pacific Coast League, DiMaggio joined the New York Yankees for the 1936 season and led them to four straight World Series titles. Aside from his war-time duty in the airforce, Joe played with the Bronx Bombers from 1936 to 1951. He was an All-Star every year (13 times), Most Valuable Player 3 times, World Series winner 9 times, leading the league twice in batting average, runs batted in and home runs. His range in centre field was legendary.
DiMaggio’s most famous feat was the 56-game hitting streak in 1941, breaking the record of 45 games set in 1896-97 by “Wee Willie” Keeler. It has been called “the most extraordinary thing that ever happened in American sports.” Since then the closest anyone has come to breaking the mark was Peter Rose of Cincinnati with 45 games.
After his retirement DiMaggio was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe.