TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER by Jonathan Weeks

 TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER

by Jonathan Weeks 

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GENRE:  NonFiction Sports Biography 

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BLURB: 

There has probably never been a professional baseball player more of a puzzle than Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio had a talent for keeping his emotions suppressed and his innermost thoughts to himself. Few could say that they really knew him. And even the ones who did found him to be unpredictable. He was a walking contradiction. He was quiet, but not necessarily shy. He could be both gracious and abrupt, approachable or aloof depending on the situation. Although he came across as humble, he had a tremendous sense of entitlement. He was complex, secretive, inscrutable. There were many layers to the man who came to be affectionately known as the “Yankee Clipper.” DiMaggio always felt that his actions on the field should do the talking for him. And for the most part, they did. To many, DiMaggio personified elegance, style, and grace. An impeccable dresser, he was married to two glamorous actresses. On the field, he glided almost effortlessly, never having to dive for a ball and rarely (if ever) making a mistake on the basepaths. He became the living embodiment of the American dream and a symbol of the country’s so-called “greatest generation.” But as time marched on, DiMaggio grew increasingly distrustful of the people around him. It was understandable—inevitable even. The third book in Jonathan Week’s Yankees trilogy contains an abundance of anecdotes, statistics, and other little-known facts about the Yankee Clipper. 

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EXCERPT

CASE OF THE PURLOINED BAT 

DiMaggio suffered a major scare during his 56-game hitting streak. On June 29, 1941, the Yankees traveled to Washington for a doubleheader against the Nationals (often referred to as the Senators). Joe had hit in 40 straight games and was poised to break the modern record set by George Sisler in 1922. His double in the opener tied Sisler’s mark. In the first inning of the evening game, Tommy Henrich was on his way to the plate when he heard DiMaggio shouting across the diamond. Joe couldn’t locate his favorite bat and wondered if Henrich had done something with it. 

Joe was very attached to that particular piece of lumber, naming it “Betsy Ann.” He had been using it throughout the streak and worried that he might fall into a slump without it. A frantic search turned up nothing. The bat was gone. Forced to hit without “Betsy Ann,” DiMaggio flew out. Two innings later, he switched bats and lined out to short. In the seventh inning, Henrich gave Joe his own bat to use. Averting disaster, The Yankee Clipper lined a clean single to left field, claiming Sisler’s record for himself. Still, the loss of his favorite bat vexed him. 

“Of course, the guy had to pick out the best one,” Joe told reporters after the game. “I had three of my bats on the ground in front of the dugout but he got the one I wouldn’t take money for...the bat was just right for me. I liked the feel of it. I hate to lose it.”  

About a week later, “Betsy Ann” was delivered by courier to the Yankee clubhouse in a plain brown package. Behind the scenes, one of Joe’s assistants—a wise guy named Jimmy “Peanuts” Ceres—had spent five days looking for the bat. As it turned out, the thief had ties to the Newark underworld (which was Jimmy’s domain) and also happened to be a braggart. When the thief’s identity was revealed, Jimmy paid the guy a visit with one of his associates. Specific details of how they persuaded the man to return Joe’s prized bat have never been disclosed. 

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DIMAGGIO’S EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

 --During his preschool years, Joe’s older sister, Nellie, was kidnapped by a man she had refused to marry. She ended up being rescued by the police.

--Joe had eight siblings growing up and the family was somewhat poor. He shared a bedroom with two of his brothers.

--To help his family financially, Joe sold newspapers. He also made money by stripping electrical wires from abandoned buildings and selling the copper to dealers.

--Joe’s family spoke Sicilian at home, but he never mastered the language, making it somewhat difficult to communicate with his parents.

--All of the DiMaggio boys were expected to work on their father’s fishing boat. But the motion of the waves and the smell of fish made Joe nauseous so he avoided it whenever he could.

--It was Joe’s older brother, Vince, who talked San Francisco Seals manager Ike Caveney into giving Joe a professional tryout. At the time, Joe was a mediocre infielder with an erratic throwing arm.

--In 1938, Joe demanded a salary increase and refused to report to spring training with the Yankees. When he finally returned to action in late April, fans booed him repeatedly.  

--During World War II when the United States was at war with Italy, Joe’s parents were declared “enemy aliens” along with thousands of other Italian immigrants. His father’s fishing boat was confiscated.

--DiMaggio is best known for his 56-game hitting streak in 1941. But he had an even longer one in the minor leagues, hitting in 61 consecutive games. Surprisingly, this is not the all-time record for a professional player. Outfielder Joe Wilhoit hit in 69 straight Western League games in 1919.

--According to multiple reports, the Yankees almost traded DiMaggio to the Red Sox. The deal fell through when Boston owner Tom Yawkey asked Yankee GM Larry MacPhail to include Yogi Berra (who had not yet established himself as a star) in the deal.  

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Jonathan Weeks has written several sports biographies and two novels, one of which was a posthumous collaboration with his father. He grew up in the Capital District region of New York State and currently works in the mental health field. 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE 

Jonathan Weeks will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. 

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