1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #126 "Joe" DiMaggio

Sunday, April 21, 2024

#126 "Joe" DiMaggio - New York Yankees

Joseph Paul DiMaggio

New York Yankees

Outfield

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 193

Born: November 25, 1914, Martinez, CA

Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1936-1942, 1946-1951

World Series Appearances: New York Yankees 1936-1939, 1941-1942, 1947, 1949-1951

Died: March 8, 1999, Hollywood, FL (84)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1955

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, reached almost mythic status during his 13 years with the Yankees. Beloved by the Bronx fans and famous worldwide, DiMaggio made his debut on May 3, 1936, and was a bona fide superstar from his time as a rookie to his retirement in 1951. He was an American League All-Star each year he played and helped guide the Yankees to 10 pennants and nine World Championships. He batted .346 in his sophomore season of 1937, attaining career best marks for home runs (46) and RBIs (167). DiMaggio won MVP honors in 1939, 1941 and 1947, the latter award made even more impressive due to the fact he had missed three full seasons while serving in the military during World War II. His best season was perhaps 1941 when he accumulated a 56-game hitting streak, finishing the year with a .357 average, 30 home runs and 125 RBIs.

DiMaggio retired following the 1951 season, ranking fifth all-time in career home runs (361) and sixth all-time in slugging percentage (.579). In 1,736 regular season games, DiMaggio batted .325 with 2,214 hits, including 389 doubles and 131 triples. His #5 was retired by the Yankees in 1952, and DiMaggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955. He remained in the spotlight following his retirement from baseball, marrying Marilyn Monroe in 1954 and forever immortalized in Simon & Garfunkel's 1968 song, "Mrs. Robinson." DiMaggio continues to be regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.

Header cards included with the complete set
Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price. These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #121, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Yankees Team Set

The original Diamond Stars release would have been a lot more popular had they managed to release DiMaggio's rookie card in the set's underwhelming third series. The back of the card mentions his excellent minor league play with his hometown San Francisco Seals between 1932 and 1935. His older brother Vince played 10 seasons with the Braves, Reds, Pirates, Phillies and Giants between 1937 and 1946. His younger brother Dom played 11 seasons with the Red Sox, and was a seven-time All-Star between 1940 and 1953.

1936 Season

DiMaggio entered spring training as the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (#109), who had departed the Yankees two years prior. Roy Johnson was the team's opening day left fielder, but DiMaggio made his debut and first start on May 3rd in left, moving to center field in late July. He'd hit .323 his rookie season, with 29 home runs and 125 RBIs. DiMaggio was one of five players in the powerful Yankee line-up with at least 100 RBIs, with Lou Gehrig's (#130) 152 leading them all. The Yankees defeated the Giants in the World Series, with DiMaggio playing every inning in center field for all six games. He batted .346 (9 for 26) in his first postseason play.