Joe DiMaggio Childhood

Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born on November 25, 1914 in Martinez, CA. He was the son of Rosalie and Giuseppe DiMaggio. One of nine children, young Joe’s path to baseball immortality didn’t have a smooth start. His father wanted his boys to become fishermen. They were taught the ropes at a young age and they were on their way to fulfilling their father’s wishes. However, an eye injury to Joe’s sister prompted the family to move to San Francisco. The move opened the DiMaggio boys to the sport of baseball. From then on, Joe began his journey into becoming one of the greatest baseball players in MLB history. 

Joe DiMaggio High School Stats and Awards

DiMaggio attended Galileo High School. However he dropped out at age 16 and would take various jobs during this time. He didn’t stop playing baseball as he signed with the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals in 1932. He would play alongside his older brother Vince DiMaggio. His play caught the attention of the New York Yankees. In 1934, Joe’s path to the big leagues took a gigantic leap as he was purchased by the Yankees.

Joe DiMaggio MLB Career Stats and Notes

DiMaggio made his Yankees debut on May 3, 1936. Known by nicknames such as the Yankee Clipper and Joltin’ Joe, DiMaggio had one of the greatest careers among the Yankee greats.  He was part of a Yankees dynasty that went to 10 World Series. His teams brought home nine titles in that stretch. He retired after the 1951 season, going out on top as the Yankees won the World Series that year. In 1955, DiMaggio was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Joe DiMaggio And The 56 Game Hit Streak

In sports, they say records are made to be broken. With baseball’s lengthy history, most records set in the early days have been broken. However, there are few that are standing strong. And then there’s Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak record, a mark that was set over 80 years ago which may never be broken.

The record setting hit streak started on May 15, 1941 when he got a single in a loss to the Chicago White Sox. Once Joltin’ Joe got to 25, he was in striking distance of several major milestones. He first surpassed the Yankees’ hit streak record of 29 games. As the hit streak grew longer, the feat took on a life of its own. It became a national sensation to see how long DiMaggio could take the streak. He then sprinted past the modern day record of 41 games and all that stood was the overall league record of 45 games set in 1897. On July 2, the Yankee Clipper would surpass that record, becoming the sole record holder for the longest hit streak in MLB history.

The streak made DiMaggio an even bigger star than he already was. The drama of continuing the streak would build after each passing game. He eventually extended the hit streak to 56 games. On July 17, 1941, DiMaggio failed to tally a hit and the streak was snapped.  Since then no one has come within ten games of the record. The longest hit streak post DiMaggio was 44 games set by Pete Rose in 1978.

List of Baseball Hall of Fame Members