DiMaggio's Older Brother
Vince Could Field, But He Was an Inconsistent Hitter
In 1936, Vince DiMaggio hit .293 with 19 home runs and 102 RBIs for the Pacific Coast San Diego Padres. On December 4, 1936, the Boston Bees traded outfielder Rupert Thompson, pitcher Tiny Chaplin and cash to the Padres for DiMaggio. Vince played winter ball and in early March appeared unexpectedly at Boston’s spring training camp. He blasted shots all over all the fences, but manager Bill McKechnie was not overly impressed, pointing out that playing winter ball meant that Vince was already in shape. The next day, McKechnie announced that DiMaggio, an outstanding defensive center fielder, would be given a shot to win the third base job.
Vince Played Against the Yankees
Vince’s first exhibition game against his brother’s team was a disaster, but the only saving grace was that brother Joe had not yet reported and didn’t see it. Vince had a terrible day, making an error and going hitless in 4 at bats, striking out twice and popping up twice in an 8-1 loss.
A Chance to be a Yankee
The experiment of using DiMaggio at third was short lived and he played center field for the Bees in 1937. Boston had a decent season, winning 79 and losing 73, but they finished fifth in the eight team National League. Vince hit .256 with 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 111 strikeouts, which was considered excessive in that era. In 1938, Vince’s average dropped to .228 and he set a major league record with 134 strikeouts. On February 4, 1939, the Bees released DiMaggio outright to the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, which was a Yankees farm team.
Correct a Fault or Two
Vince never played for the Yankees although he did play against them in the spring while with the Blues, facing his brother Joe. Vince had a great season for Kansas City. After hitting his 37th and 38th home runs on August 4, Kansas City Blues’ secretary Roy Hamey, who would become the Yankees’ general manager in 1960, when George Weiss was told his services were no longer needed, announced that Vince had been sent to the Cincinnati Reds. Blues’ manager Bill Meyer told reporters that DiMaggio was "a fine hustler and tops when it comes to defensive play. As soon as he corrects a fault or two, he will be as dangerous as any batter in baseball." Vince never could correct his fault or two.
Forty Six Home Runs
Vince finished the 1939 minor league season with 46 home runs and appeared in 8 games with the Reds, batting only .071. On May 4, 1940, the Reds shipped Vince to the Pirates for outfielder Johnny Rizzo. Vince did well, hitting .289 with 19 home runs for the Bucs and in 1941, he hit a career high 21 home runs with 100 RBIs.
Vince DiMaggio had a career .249 batting average and slugged .413. He was an outstanding defensive player who had three strikes against him. The first two were that he was compared to his brothers Dominic and Joe. The third was the one that sent him back to the bench.
References
- Dawson, James P. "Yanks Overcome Bees Again, 8-1." New York Times. 15 March 1937, p. 16.
- Dawson, James P. "Long Drives Mark Yanks’ Sixth in Row." New York Times. 25 March 1939, p. 11.
- "Foxx Ends Holdout; Other Baseball News." New York Times. 5 March 1937, p. 24.
- "Paul Dean’s Hopes High After Test; Other Baseball News. New York Times. 6 March 1937, p.11.
- "Vince DiMaggio Goes to Reds Next Spring; Will Return to the Majors for Cash and Two Players." New York Times. 6 August 1939, p. S8.
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