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DiMaggio Against RuppertJoe Asked for $40,000. The Colonel Offered $25,000.Yankees' owner Jacob Ruppert was adamant that Joe would receive no more than $25,000, despite batting .346 with 46 HRs and 167 RBIs.
The New York Yankees’ front office was faced with some problems following the team’s outstanding 1937 season in which they won the pennant by 13 games and then defeated the New York Giants in the World Series. Joe DiMaggio was paid $15,000 in 1937 and intimated that $25,000 would not be sufficient in 1938. Of course, the reality of the situation was that Joe had only two choices – play for the Yankees or don’t play for the Yankees. The Yankees Would Have Allowed Gehrig's Streak to EndFollowing their World Championship 1936 season, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing became holdouts during the off season, with Ruffing not signing until May. Despite missing all of spring training, Ruffing had his finest season in 1937, winning 20 while losing only 7 with a 2.98 ERA. Gehrig signed for $36,000 once he realized that the Yankees were willing to let him miss the beginning of the season and risk ending his endurance streak of consecutive games played. The streak was more important to Gehrig than money, which was not true for the Yankees. DiMaggio Waited for the Yankees' OfferIn the middle of January, during the week that the Yankees were going to mail contracts to players, DiMaggio visited New York to see his friend, boxer Jim Braddock fight Tommy Farr. Joe told reporters that he hoped to talk to the Yankees and settle the salary matter quickly. "While I naturally have an idea what I’m worth, I don’t think it’s up to me to say anything about that now. I’d rather wait until the club made its offer." The Starting Point Was $15,000A day later, Yankees’ general manager Ed Barrow announced that would not meet with players before contracts had been mailed, but the day after they had been mailed, Barrow invited DiMaggio to a conference that owner Colonel Ruppert would attend. It was believed that DiMaggio was offered $15,000, which was the salary he had earned the previous season and would be a starting point for negotiations. DiMaggio and Joe GouldBaseball players didn’t have agents in DiMaggio’s era, but they sometimes had help in negotiations. Joe was a good friend not only of Jim Braddock – he was a good friend of Braddock’s manager, Joe Gould. It was rumored that Gould coached DiMaggio in setting his demands and that $30,000 would be DiMaggio’s rock bottom price. Gould, of course, vehemently denied any involvement is DiMaggio’s financial affairs. An Ungrateful Young ManAfter making him wait for forty five minutes, Ruppert appeared at the conference and offered Joe $25,000, which he immediately refused. When spring training opened on February 28, DiMaggio was in San Francisco, awaiting developments on his salary. He was still asking for $40,000 but insiders indicated that he would settle for $30,000. Ruppert was adamant that DiMaggio accept $25,000. On March 12, DiMaggio was quoted as saying "I suppose it will wind up with the ballplayer signing the contract, as he usually does." Ruppert responded by calling DiMaggio "…an ungrateful young man who is very unfair to his teammates." Take It or Leave ItOn April 7, Ruppert cut off negotiations, telling DiMaggio to either take or leave the $25,000 offer. Myril Hoag was announced as the Yankees’ center fielder. On April 18, the St. Louis Browns offered the Yankees $150,000 for DiMaggio, which the Yankees refused. On April 21, DiMaggio signed for $25,000, less the money he lost for not reporting on time. Ruppert said "I hope the young man has learned his lesson." DiMaggio said that he hoped to have such a great season that "there won’t be any chance of an argument over salary next year."
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The copyright of the article DiMaggio Against Ruppert in Major League Baseball is owned by Harold Friend. Permission to republish DiMaggio Against Ruppert in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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