Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), American baseball player, who was one of the greatest hitters and center fielders of all time.

Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), American baseball player, who was one of the greatest hitters and center fielders of all time. In 1941 he set one of the best-known records in major league baseball history when he got at least one hit in 56 consecutive games. DiMaggio, who was also known for his smooth and seemingly effortless play in center field, spent 13 seasons with the New York Yankees of the American League (AL) and led the team to 9 World Series titles. He earned the nicknames Joltin' Joe and The Yankee Clipper. Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California. His parents were immigrants from Sicily, Italy, and the family eventually settled in San Francisco, where DiMaggio's father was a fisherman. DiMaggio grew up in a household dominated by baseball, and his brothers Dom and Vince would also go on to play in the major leagues. Joe quit school in his teens, and from 1932 to 1935 he played with the minor league San Francisco Seals. In 1933 he got at least one hit in 61 consecutive games for the Seals. DiMaggio joined the Yankees in 1936, as the era of Yankee legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig was ending. He batted .323 with 29 home runs and 125 runs batted in (RBIs) in his rookie season. The following year DiMaggio improved his statistics, batting .346 with 46 home runs and 167 RBIs. He was named AL most valuable player (MVP) in 1939 after batting .381, a career high. On May 15, 1941, DiMaggio batted safely in a game against the Chicago White Sox. For the next two months he had a hit in every game the Yankees played, running the streak to 56 games before it ended on July 17 against the Cleveland Indians. The next night DiMaggio began another hitting streak that reached 16 games. After the season he won his second MVP award. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, and after the 1942 season DiMaggio enlisted in the armed services. He returned to the Yankees in 1946, the season after the war's end. The following season DiMaggio won his third MVP award. In 1949 he missed the first half of the season with injuries but made a dramatic return to the Yankees in June and hit four home runs in his first three games back with the club. DiMaggio retired after the 1951 season, ceding leadership of the Yankees to the upcoming star Mickey Mantle. In his 13-season career DiMaggio led the Yankees to nine World Series titles (1936-1939, 1941, 1947, 1949-1951). For his career he batted .325, with 2,214 hits, 1,537 RBIs, and 1,390 runs. He also hit 361 home runs while striking out only 369 times. DiMaggio led the AL in batting twice (1939, 1940), in home runs twice (1937, 1948), and in RBIs twice (1941, 1948). He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 and was voted baseball's "greatest living player" in a 1969 poll. DiMaggio was married to Dorothy Arnold from 1939 until their divorce in 1944. In 1954 he married actress Marilyn Monroe. The marriage ended in divorce after nine months, but DiMaggio remained devoted to Monroe's memory after she died in 1962. In retirement DiMaggio was a popular hero and cultural icon, celebrated in print and song. The most famous reference occurred in the hit song "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), written by American musician Paul Simon: "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? / A nation turns its lonely eyes to you. / What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson? / Joltin' Joe has left and gone away." Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.