DiMaggio dies at 84, fans recall 'Yankee Clipper'

by Mary Eileen O'Connor features editor

Last summer, Americans were swept away by the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Now, while baseball teams are in spring training, Americans are mourning the death of one of the greatest men to ever play the game.

The legendary Joe DiMaggio passed away at his home in Florida on Monday at the age of 84.

In September, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and battled complications from surgery since then.

However, he will not be remembered for the way he died, but for the way he lived. DiMaggio started playing center field for the New York Yankees during the Great Depression in 1936, a most difficult time in the nation ·s history. His first years in baseball were to be the country's last years of innocence before so many young men were sent to fight in World War IL

Even DiMaggio put his 13-year career on hold to serve for three years in the war.

His incredible athleticism and graceful nature both on and off the field quickly made him a national hero at a time when Americans needed someone to have faith in.

DiMaggio exemplified the American dream. As the son of an Italian immigrant living in San Francisco, his sheer talent, not money or power, propelled him to the top of the game.

He became an inspiration for all Americans, especially those of Italian heritage.

Dr. Joseph Romano, professor of philosophy, saw DiMaggio play against the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park in Philadelphia in the late 1940s.

Although he doesn't remember much about the game that day, he does remember the powerful impact DiMaggio had on Italian-Americans at that time.

"He was a social role model for ItalianAmericans," he said. "The Italian-American community needed him as their hero."

DiMaggio was highly esteemed by vice president for student development Dr. Bob Bonfiglio's family.

According to Bonfiglio, Frank Sinatra and DiMaggio were two Italian-Americans that were very special in his house.

"Joe DiMaggio was skillful but also very humble about what he did," he said. Bonfiglio was only a baby when DiMaggio retired, so he has learned about DiMaggio's baseball feats from his treasured copy of "The DiMaggio Albums," a two-volume set of press clippings from all the games DiMaggio ever played.

There were many baseball feats. In 1941, DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak, a record that no one has broken, not even super-slugger Mark McGwire.

Romano believes that this "56-game streak is more important than the homerun record."

Romano said an examination of the records would show that DiMaggio, nicknamed the "Yankee Clipper," rarely struck out, something few players today can claim.

With the New York Yankees, he won nine World Series' Championships. He was Most Valuable Player three times.

In his rookie season, DiMaggio made a record $8,500. By 1949, he signed a $100,000 contract, the first player in baseball to do so.

He retired from the game in 1951. Although he was initially passed over in 1954, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

He played in several old-timer games at Yankee Stadium after his retirement.

"Joe DiMaggio transcended several generations," athletic director John Dzik said.

Many of his fans never got to see him play, but are still awestruck by his achievements.

Future generations will not only have his baseball records; he has also been immortalized in literature and music.

Romano speculated about whether or not DiMaggio would have become such a legend if he had not played with the New York Yankees, but there is one thing about which he is absolutely certain. "He was an incredible baseball player," be said.

The flag at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. hung at half-staff on Monday and DiMaggio's plaque in the museum was adorned with flowers. He will be buried in his hometown of San Francisco today.