On March 8, 1999, former New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio dies after a much-publicized battle with lung cancer. The baseball legend and American icon was 84. Born in Martinez, California, DiMaggio arrived in the major leagues at the age of 21. He batted .323 in his first season and helped the Yankees to the…
On April 5, 1993, the expansion Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins play their first games ever. After Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio throws out the first ball at Joe Robbie Stadium, the Marlins defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-3. In the meantime, the Rockies lose to Dwight Gooden and the New York Mets, 3-0…
In front of 42,334 fans at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, the Florida Marlins, making their major league debut, defeat the Dodgers, 6-3. Joe DiMaggio throws out the ceremonial first pitch, and the team retires uniform number 5 in tribute to Carl Barger, their late president.
1978 – In a controversial selection, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice is named American League Most Valuable Player over New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry. Rice led the AL in home runs (46), RBI (139), hits (213), triples and slugging percentage (.600), and became the first AL player to accumulate 400 total bases in a season since Joe DiMaggio in 1937, while Guidry posted a 25-3 record with 248 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA for the pennant-winning Yankees.
In a 2 – 1 win over Kansas City, Boston’s Jim Rice hits a 3rd-inning double and becomes the first Boston player since Ted Williams in 1939 to hit 20 homers, 20 doubles and 10 triples in a season. Between Williams and Rice, only Charlie Keller (1946), Joe DiMaggio (1948 & 1950) and Mickey Mantle (1955) had reached those levels.
On April 15, 1976, the New York Yankees defeat the Minnesota Twins, 11-4, in the first game at the newly renovated Yankee Stadium. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and the widows of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth take part in pre-game ceremonies at the Stadium, which had been closed for the 1974 and ’75…
On April 12, 1970, plaques honoring Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are dedicated at Yankee Stadium. The plaques are located in center field and will eventually be moved to “Monument Park” beyond the left field fence when the stadium is renovated in the mid-1970s.
1970 – In this first (and last?) “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial All-Star Baseball Classic”, solo home runs by Ron Fairly of Montreal and Ron Santo of the Chicago Cubs, plus a three-run 8th-inning brings the East a 5 – 1 victory over the West. A crowd of 31,694 watches the charity game in Dodger Stadium. Proceeds go to the late Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a memorial center planned for Atlanta. For this initial charity game, former New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio manages the East, and ex-Dodger Roy Campanella, confined to a wheelchair since a 1958 auto accident, directs the fortunes of the West. Jim “Mudcat” Grant of Oakland sings the National Anthem in the pre-game program, and then becomes the victim of a four-hit uprising in the 8th inning that insures the outcome. Al Kaline of Detroit beats out an infield hit to open the frame and moves to second as Tommie Agee drives Hank Aaron to the left field wall. Kaline races home on Lou Brock’s double to left. Brock scores on Roberto Clemente’s double and Clemente comes home on Ken McMullen’s single.
Major League Baseball proclaims Joe DiMaggio as its greatest living player, a title the Yankee Clipper will proudly embrace until his death in 1999. The determination was made by sportswriters in a poll conducted to coincide with the centennial of professional baseball.
Different uniforms, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. May 6, 1969 – Oakland Coliseum. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Play by Play, Box Scores, News Paper Reports and other links Other Resources & Links Baseball-Reference Box Score
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