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Joe and Marilyn Photo Gallery
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe “Tie the Knot!”
“Whenever I sat at a table with Joe and other people…all the men were always looking at Joe instead of me!!” – Marilyn Monroe, speaking of her husband Joe DiMaggio.
I just can’t believe this kind of “humiliation” happened very often to Marilyn Monroe. If it was physically possible for any man’s mere presence to divert lustful eyes away from the glamorous sex symbol – which I doubt happened very often – then only a “man’s man” like Joe DiMaggio would be capable of such a herculean feat. Not to mention that a simple suggestion of a possible tiff with him could drive his manager Casey Stengel to drink! (see quote below):
“I came in here and a fella asked me to have a drink. I said I’m not drinking tonight. Then another fella said ‘I hear you and Joe DiMaggio aren’t speaking,’ …and I said ‘I’ll take that drink!’ ” – Yankee manager Casey Stengel
The Two Stars Get Hitched!
Seventy-one years ago yesterday, January 14, 1954 was a memorable day in baseball history. Since it was in the middle of winter that year, obviously it didn’t have anything to do with something happening on the field.
No…that was the day the great Yankee Clipper finally tied the knot with the voluptuous Marilyn Monroe. Two of America’s most notable celebrities, they eloped, getting married at City Hall in San Francisco where reporters and adoring fans were waiting to mob the newlyweds. However, to nobody’s surprise, the famous couple divorced just 274 days after the ceremony, with Marilyn accusing her husband of “mental cruelty.”
Far be it for me to cast judgment on Joe’s choice for a wife, but let’s be real. What was he thinking? Did he really expect the volatile sex symbol to settle down with him and become a submissive housewife, cooking his favorite Italian meals just like his mama Rosa did? I always thought Joe should have stayed with his first wife, Dorothy Arnold, also a beautiful actress. The difference was she actually loved Joe and was willing to give up her career to become a devoted wife and to build a stable home for their child. But what do I know…
Anyway, whenever I write about Joe, it always allows me to share a few completely gratuitous photos of the lovely Miss Monroe, and the featured photo above and the one to the right are good examples. You’ll find a few more in the photo gallery. And this also gives me a chance to say a few words about Joe’s on-field achievements.
Joe’s Outstanding Career!
Over his 13 years in the Big Show (1936-51), interrupted by military service during World War II (1943-45), Joe batted .325, with 2214 hits, 1390 runs, 361 home runs, 1537 RBIs, a .398 on-base percentage, and a .579 slugging average. Joe struck out only 369 times in 6821 at-bats. His mark of 155 OPS+ places him well above average for players of his era (100 being the major league average). In 51 post-season games, he hit .271, with 30 RBIs, and eight home runs. In addition, he was known as an extremely graceful centerfielder, and certainly one of the best defensive outfielders of his era.
Career highlights include 13 All-Star selections, ten pennants, nine World Series championships, three American League MVP Awards, two American League batting titles, two American League home run titles, two American League RBI titles; and, of course, his 56-game major league record hitting streak, a record that may never be broken. His #5 has been retired by the Yankees, he was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century team, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
What Joe’s Contemporaries Thought Of Him
As we reflect back on his career, let’s read a few quotes from his contemporaries, giving us – who unfortunately never saw him play – a wonderful glimpse into how the baseball world at the time viewed him:
“Joe did everything so easily…You never saw him fall down or go diving for a ball. He didn’t have to. He just where the ball was hit and he went and got it.” –Yankee manager Joe McCarthy
“There never was a guy like DiMaggio in baseball. Everyone wanted to meet Joe, to touch him, to be around him. Joe was a legitimate hero…the way he plays, the way he works, the way he is, the way other people related to him…Joe could halt business on Fifth Avenue by walking down the street.” -Toots Shor, New York Restaurateur.
“There was never a day when I was as good as Joe DiMaggio at his best. Joe was the best, the very best, I ever saw.” –Stan Musial
“Players just watched what he did and tried to imitate him. Everyone gravitated to him. Everyone wanted to be like him.” –Phil Rizzuto
“I never saw him look bad and he made everything look so easy.” –Ted Williams
“Heroes are all good with no bad in them. That’s the way I always saw Joe DiMaggio. He was beyond question one of the greatest players of the century.” -Mickey Mantle
So today, I’m glad to shine our baseball spotlight on the great Yankee Clipper, the only man alive who could divert lustful eyes away from Marilyn Monroe…even if their ill-advised marriage lasted only 274 days!
Gary Livacari
We’d love to hear what you think about this or any other related baseball history topic…please leave comments below.
Photo Credits: Charles Conlon collection and from Google search
Information: Excerpts edited from article on Joe DiMaggio in The Bleacher Report, by Harold Friend, July 27, 2011, and from the Joe DIMaggio Wikipedia page. Stats from Baseball-Reference.com
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