The Yankees Acquire DiMaggio
New York Purchased Joe for Five Players and Cash
After his contract was sold to the Yankees in 1934, DiMaggio played in the Pacific Coast League in 1935, hitting .398 with 34 home runs. He joined the Yankees in 1936.
The announcement was made at the minor league baseball meetings in Louisville on November 21, 1934. The New York Yankees acquired Joe DiMaggio from the San Francisco Seals in exchange for five players and $50,000. DiMaggio, who set a Pacific Coast record in 1933 by hitting safely in 61 consecutive games, would report to the Yankees in the fall of 1935. Before agreeing to the deal, the Yankees wanted to be certain that DiMaggio had recovered from a knee injury he had suffered. They were assured that there would be no problems.
Joe Signed for $8,000
Joe DiMaggio joined the Yankees in 1936 for spring training after signing for $8,000. He mildly threatened to hold out, but when Yankees’ general manager Ed Barrow offered him $8,000, DiMaggio quickly signed. A few days later, Joe joined Tony Lazzeri and Frank Crosetti for the long drive from California to the Yankees’ St. Petersburg training site.
Would DiMaggio Play Left Field?
The Yankees’ regular centerfielder was Ben Chapman, who had batted .289 with 8 home runs the previous season, but Chapman was a hold out and Yankees’ manager Joe McCarthy put DiMaggio in centerfield during the exhibition season. McCarthy would evaluate the Chapman and DiMaggio to determine who would play center field and who would play left field. The manager didn’t attempt to hide his admiration for DiMaggio’s speed in tracking down fly balls and the power in his arm when returning the ball to the infield.
Four Hits in His First Exhibition Game
Prior to the Yankees’ first exhibition game against the Boston Bees, McCarthy announced that DiMaggio would bat third, ahead of Lou Gehrig. Joe was outstanding as he led the offense. In a game against the Reds on March 20. He had 4 hits in six at bats, drove home two runs, and scored two runs, but then he hurt his right instep in a game on March 22. What seemed to be a minor inconvenience turned into a major problem.
Boston third baseman Joe Coscarart had spiked Joe. After the game, DiMaggio underwent diathermy treatment and as sometimes happens, the treatment caused a greater problem that the injury. The heat from the diathermy caused a blister on the instep, and on April 8, less than a week before opening day, the Yankees announced that DiMaggio would be out another 10-14 days.
A Triple and Two Singles
On May 3, a dreary, overcast day, Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut in left field at Yankee Stadium against the St. Louis Browns. He had a triple and two singles in six at bats as the Yankees beat the Browns, 14-5. The game was halted by a heavy downpour in the sixth inning, but sometimes, a dreary day isn’t, as Joe DiMaggio’s next one and one half decades would prove.
One Bat the Entire Season
The second game of the three game set against St. Louis was rained out, and in the series finale, DiMaggio again was left despite Chapman being out with a strained muscle in his leg. Myril Hoag played center as the Yankees beat the Browns again to extend the visitors losing streak to nine games. Joe had three more hits in five at bats but in the seventh inning, he broke his bat when he singled. It was the bat that he had used the entire 1935 season in the Pacific Coast League when he hit .398 with 34 home runs.
References:
- Associated Press. “Yankees Obtain Di Maggio, Coast League Batting Star, in Player Transaction.” New York Times. 22 November 1934.
- Dawson, James P. “Yanks Refuse Pay Increase to Chapman; DiMaggio Shows Speed Afield and Powerful Throwing.” New York Times. 6 March 1936., p. 29.
- Dawson, James P. “Holdout Delaying Yanks’ Experiment; Possible Shift of DiMaggio to Center is Held Up by the Absence of Chapman.” New York Times. 10 March 1936, p. 32.
- Dawson, James P. “”DiMaggio Assured of Outfield Berth With the Yankees, McCarthy Announces.” New York Times. 15 March 1936, p. S5.
- Dawson, James P. “Yanks Crush Reds As DiMaggio Stars; Collects Four of Teams Eighteen Safeties in 13-8 Victory.” New York Times. 20 March 1936, p. 30.
- Dawson, James P. “Gehrig’s Home Run Helps Yankees Top Bears.” New York Times. 24 March 1936, p. 28.
- Dawson, James P. “Four Double Plays by Yankees Stop Bees, 4.3 as Malone Stars; DiMaggio Out With Blistered Foot.” New York Times. 23 March 1936, p. 24.
- Effrat, Louis. “Yanks Triumph, 8-2, As Malone Excels.” New York Times. 6 May 1936, p. 28.
- Childs, Kingsley. “DiMaggio’s 3 Hits Help Yanks Score; Joe Plays Brilliantly in His Big League Debut as Browns Are Beaten 14-5.” New York Times. 4 May 1936, p. 23.
- McGowen, Roscoe. “DiMaggio, Outfield Recruit, Wires Acceptance of Terms to Yankees; Coast Star Ends Threat of Holdout for Sum Said to be $8,000.” New York Times. 13 February 1936, p. 30.
- “DiMaggio Remains Idle; Yankee Star May Be Able to Play in Two Weeks, Doctor Says.” New York Times. 8 April 1936.
