Joe DiMaggio ends his legendary Yankees career in 1951 – ‘DiMag Quits as Player for TV Post’
The 37-year-old outfielder, who plans to remain with the Yankee organization as a TV broadcaster, said: “I honestly believe night ball cut short my days by about two years. You don’t get to bed until two in the morning, or so, and wake up at 10. I found that wasn’t enough rest to get the aches and pains out of my system. I’d go to the park for an afternoon game the next day, and sometimes I wouldn’t wake up till the fifth or sixth inning.
IT SHOULD BE one way or the other; either all night ball or all days, so that a player can live normally. Maybe it doesn’t affect the young fellows that way, but there’s no question in my mind that it does at my age.”
DiMag was talking to a large assemblage of newsmen at the Yankee midtown offices. His retirement, after 13 seasons as a Yankee (with a three year break as a GI from 1943 through ’45), took on the appearance of a mob scene from Quo Vadis. Every hall and room of the Yankee suite buzzed with activity – flood lights for newsreel and TV cameras, still photogs and mere questions popping reporters.
Cited article (Originally published by the Daily News on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 1951; written by Dick Young);
Full article with actual front page of the news – https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/dimag-quits-player-tv-post-article-1.2010069
Picture – April 18, 1952, the Yankees retired Joe DiMaggio’s famed No. 5 jersey in an on-field ceremony prior to the club’s home opener. The event marked just the third time the Yankees had retired a player’s uniform number, as Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth had been similarly honored in 1940 and 1948, respectively.
