Dominic DiMaggio

last updated 8 January 2015

The Red Sox fielder who was brother to a legend

1917–2009

Dominic DiMaggio, who has died at 92, was once described by broadcaster Curt Gowdy as baseball’s “most underrated great player.” In his 10 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, he had more hits (1,679) than anyone in the majors and batted safely in 34 consecutive games—a Sox record that still stands. But he was always overshadowed by his older brother Joe, the New York Yankees legend. “It followed me all through my major league career,” Dom once said. “I was always Joe’s kid brother.”

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The youngest of nine children of Italian immigrants, DiMaggio earned the nickname “the Little Professor” thanks to his short stature and eyeglasses, said The Boston Globe. After two years with the minor league San Francisco Seals, he joined the Sox in 1940, batting .301 in his rookie year. As a fielder, “DiMaggio specialized in charging balls hit through the infield and using his powerful throwing arm to cut down advancing runners.” He also had great range, using his speed “to get a good jump on the ball and positioning his body to face left field rather than home plate, which he felt saved him a step on balls hit in front of him.” Among other achievements, he set a 1948 American League record for center fielders with 503 putouts, and held the American League record for RBIs by a leadoff hitter.

“DiMaggio was named to seven All Star teams, helped lead his team to the 1946 World Series, and was often considered the second-best center fielder of his era,” said The Washington Post. The best, of course, was his brother Joe. Unlike Joe, Dom never made the Hall of Fame, and it was Joe who ended Dom’s 34-game hitting streak on Aug. 9, 1949, when he caught a sinking liner in his last at-bat of the game. When asked to compare himself with his brother, Dom would reply, “I can do two things better than he can—play pinochle and speak Italian.” Boston fans, however, cherished Dom, often chanting, “Oh, Dominic DiMaggio! He’s better than his brother Joe!”