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“DiMaggio Stars In the 1943 All-Star Game!”
Last night’s All-Star game got me thinking about other memorable Mid-Summer Classics; and I happened to stumble onto highlights of the 1943 game which was won by the American League, 5-3. It was the first night game in All-Star history and was played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, home of the Athletics. As I read more, I found I was in for a real surprise!
And why was that? Well, that’s because I had just assumed (as you probably did, too!) that the “DiMaggio star” was the great Joe DiMaggio. But the DiMaggio star was not Joe…
It was none-other-than his older brother, the often-overlooked Vince DiMaggio. In that game, Vince – playing for the Pirates – went 3-4, with a single, triple, and home run in the National League’s losing effort.
In light of this, I thought it was a good time to say a few words about Vince. Last year, I wrote an essay about the DiMaggio brothers, so here’s a few excerpts, with the spotlight especially on Vince. At the end, I asked, “Which of the DiMaggio brothers ultimately was the most successful in life?” See what you think:
“More than 350 sets of brothers have played in the major leagues, but the only three brothers to have been All-Stars are the DiMaggios, with a total of 18 selections: Vince DiMaggio, two years older than Joe, had two All-Star selections; Joe had nine; while youngest brother Dom, a fixture with the Boston Red Sox, was a seven-time All-Star.
Vince and Dom were largely overshadowed by their famous brother. After all, what more can be said about “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio — the great Yankee Clipper — that hasn’t already been said? That he was one of the greatest ballplayers of all time is hardly in dispute. How many baseball fans even know that Joe DiMaggio had an older brother Vince who played ten years in the Major Leagues and was in the Top-10 in home runs in the National League six times?
During a respectable ten-year career, Vince, who was noted for his speed, occasional power, and outstanding defense, played for the Bees, Reds, Pirates, Phillies, and Giants. He batted .246 with 125 home runs, and 584 RBIs. In 1941 he had a career high 21 homers and 100 RBI, and he was a National League All-Star each of the next two seasons. The Phillies then acquired him for the 1945 season. Vince produced 19 homers and 84 RBI at age 32. He still holds the Phillies record for grand-slam home runs in a season with four.
After baseball, Vince – without the benefit of lucrative endorsements and speaking engagements that came to his famous brother – took on a number of odd jobs: bartender, liquor salesman, carpenter, and finally Fuller Brush salesman. He spent his spare time fishing, gardening, and studying the Bible. He was said to have found “inner peace” later in life, and his only disappointment was, except for an occasional phone call, he had lost touch with his brother Joe. Vince once said of him:
“Joe’s always been a loner and he always will be. When the folks were alive we were a lot closer. It’s only a shame that we have gone such different ways. That’s real sad. Family should stick together.”
Although surpassed on the playing field by their Hall-of-Fame brother, both Vince and Dom far outshined him in an area of much greater significance: family, with both enjoying long successful marriages with loving wives and loving children. Quite different post-baseball lives from their reclusive brother Joe’s life of Hollywood glitter, multiple broken marriages, and estranged children. So ultimately the question becomes: Which of the DiMaggio brothers was the most successful?
Vince died at his home in 1986 at age 74, survived by Madelaine – his loving wife of more than fifty years – and two children.
-Gary Livacari
Photo Credit; All found on Google Search
Information: Excerpts edited from the DiMaggio brothers’ Wikipedia pages.
Photo Credits: from “Beyond DiMaggio;” and public domain.
Statistics: Baseball-Reference.com, Vince DiMaggio page.
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Hi Gary. Thanks, as usual for this fascinating story. I knew the other DiMaggio brothers’ names and some about for whom they played, and I have a question.
I think Joe served in the military in some capacity during WWII, but did either of his brothers? If not, why was that? Also, did Stan the Man ever serve? I think my dad said that he was 4F because of a punctured ear drum or something like that.
Thanks in advance,
Rich Giandana
Go Giants!
Dom DiMaggio served and missed all of the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons. Vince did not miss anytime to military service. Stan Musial missed the entire 1945 season while in the Navy.
Thanks RIch…I know for certain that Stan served. I’ve seen pics of him in Navy uniforms. Not sure about the other DiMaggios, but I’ll check with my friend Larry Baldassaro, who wrote the book “Beyond DiMaggio.” He’s my authority on all things DiMaggio, and I’ll be seeing him next week. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.
And by the way, Joe did definitely serve during WWII.
Here’s something I found about Dom: “The DiMaggio brothers in uniform during WWII. Dom of the Boston Red Sox to the left and the Yankee clipper, Joe, to the right. Dom had to fight his way into the service. Initially, The Little Professor was rejected by the military due to his poor eyesight but wrote a letter to the Navy pleading for acceptance. Clearly impressed with Dominic’s unrivaled character, the Navy accepted him.”
My friend Larry Baldassaro confirms that Vince did not have any military service in WWII.
I was told by a man who worked at Lefty O’Douls place that Mr. O’Doul considered Vince DiMaggio to be the best fielder of the 3 brothers.
That’s interesting. I’ve heard that about Dom, but never Vince.