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Key Dates in the Life of Joe DiMaggio
SportsTicker Nov. 25, 1914 Born Joseph Paul DiMaggio in Martinez, California. April 1932 Begins professional baseball career with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Nov. 21, 1934 Purchased by New York Yankees from San Francisco Seals. May 3, 1936 Collects three hits in major-league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals. June 24, 1936 Ties three ML records in New York's 10-run fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox, hitting two HRs for eight total bases. With two doubles, he equals the modern record of four extra-base hits in a game, since broken. June 13, 1937 Hits three homers in a game against the Browns in St. Louis. July 9, 1937 Hits for the cycle against the Washington Senators at Yankee Stadium. Aug. 28, 1938 Ties a ML record with three triples in a game against St. Louis. No Yankee has had three triples in one game since. Nov. 6, 1938 Joins brothers Vince and Dom as the three DiMaggio brothers play together for the first time, making up an outfield for an all-star team in a West Coast charity game. Oct. 24, 1939 Voted American League most valuable player with Jimmie Foxx the runner-up, in the BBWAA poll. Nov. 19, 1939 Marries actress Dorothy Arnold. May 15, 1941 Singles once in four at-bats against Ed Smith of the Chicago White Sox to start his 56-game hitting streak. June 17, 1941 Credited with a hit in his 30th consecutive game when an easy grounder to shortstop bounces up and hits Luke Appling on the shoulder. June 29, 1941 Singles against Washington knuckleballer Dutch Leonard in the sixth inning in the opener of a doubleheader to tie George Sisler's AL consecutive-game hit record of 41. Collects a seventh-inning single off of Walt Masterson in the second game to set the record at 42 games. July 1, 1941 Hits safely in both games of a doubleheader sweep of the Boston Red Sox to extend the streak to 44 games, tying "Wee" Willie Keeler's major-league record. June 2, 1941 Homers off Boston's Dick Newsome to break Keeler's record. July 17, 1941 The streak comes to a halt in Cleveland as Indians pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby, with the help of third baseman Ken Keltner, hold DiMaggio hitless. Nov. 27, 1941 Named AL MVP for the second time in his career as his 56-game hitting streak edges out Ted Williams and his .406 batting average by a margin of 291-254 in the voting. Feb. 17, 1943 Enlists in the U.S. Army and spends the next two years playing for touring military teams. Nov. 27, 1947 Named the AL MVP for a third time, setting off a controversy. Edges Williams, the Triple Crown winner, by a single point as Williams is left off one ballot. May 20, 1948 Hits for the cycle for the second time in his career at Chicago. May 23, 1948 Hits three consecutive homers against Cleveland, two off future Hall of Famer Bob Feller. Feb. 7, 1949 Becomes the first player to earn six figures after signing a $100,000 contract. March 2, 1949 Leaves spring training camp to have an ailing right heel examined at Johns Hopkins hospital. June 28, 1949 Returns to action after missing the first 69 games of the season due to the heel injury and homers and singles in a 6-4 victory at Boston. Hits four homers in the three-game series. June 21, 1950 Records his 2,000th hit, a seventh-inning single off Chick Pieretti of the Indians in an 8-2 victory. Aug. 11, 1950 Stuck in a 4-for-38 slump and batting just .279 on the year, DiMaggio is benched for the first time in his career. Sept. 10, 1950 Becomes the first player to hit three homers in one game at Washington's Griffith Stadium as the Yankees beat the Senators, 8-1. July 8, 1951 Replaced in center field by Jackie Jensen in the second inning after a misplay in the first. The incident fuels a growing rift between DiMaggio and manager Casey Stengel which will ultimately lead to his retirement. Dec. 12, 1951 Officially retires at the age of 37 with 361 HRs and a career average of .325 in 13 seasons. April 1952 His uniform No. 5 is retired in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Jan. 14, 1954 Marries actress Marilyn Monroe Oct. 27, 1954 Marriage to Monroe ends in divorce. July 1955 Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. June 8, 1969 A plaque is dedicated in his honor in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park. Sept. 27, 1998 Makes last appearance at Yankee Stadium on "Joe DiMaggio Day." Oct. 12, 1998 Admitted to Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. March 8, 1999 Dies at of 84 in Hollywood, Fla. © Copyright 1999 washingtonpost.com
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