“I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee."—Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio, on Joe DiMaggio Day, October 1, 1949
It’s said that the Yankee Clipper cried only twice in his career—the first during Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, the second during the day the Yankees threw to honor himself, 60 years ago today. I didn’t count the number of gifts he received that day, but they totaled 25 lines, with three to four gifts on each line. Another way to think of it is this: Joltin’ Joe could probably have used three of these gifts—the Cadillac and Cris-Craft boat for himself, the Dodge for his mom—to transport it all home.
But what made the day complete for Yankee fans was what the Bronx Bombers did to their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Indeed, the heartbreak the Bombers inflicted did much to cement the idea of a curse that prevailed until October 2004.
The Bosox were ahead by one game with just two to go. In other words, one more win and they were in the World Series. They never got it, as the Yankees swept both games in the House That Ruth Built before an estimated 140,000 fans. (Those who couldn’t get inside stayed glued to their portable radios just outside the gates of the stadium.)
For years, a sign with the above quote hung on the tunnel leading from the clubhouse to the stadium. I hope it ended up going to the new stadium, for it was a beloved relic in baseball’s greatest shrine. If the world’s greatest franchise wins the World Series again this year, it means that a whole new generation of players will feel “lucky to be a Yankee.”
It’s said that the Yankee Clipper cried only twice in his career—the first during Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, the second during the day the Yankees threw to honor himself, 60 years ago today. I didn’t count the number of gifts he received that day, but they totaled 25 lines, with three to four gifts on each line. Another way to think of it is this: Joltin’ Joe could probably have used three of these gifts—the Cadillac and Cris-Craft boat for himself, the Dodge for his mom—to transport it all home.
But what made the day complete for Yankee fans was what the Bronx Bombers did to their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Indeed, the heartbreak the Bombers inflicted did much to cement the idea of a curse that prevailed until October 2004.
The Bosox were ahead by one game with just two to go. In other words, one more win and they were in the World Series. They never got it, as the Yankees swept both games in the House That Ruth Built before an estimated 140,000 fans. (Those who couldn’t get inside stayed glued to their portable radios just outside the gates of the stadium.)
For years, a sign with the above quote hung on the tunnel leading from the clubhouse to the stadium. I hope it ended up going to the new stadium, for it was a beloved relic in baseball’s greatest shrine. If the world’s greatest franchise wins the World Series again this year, it means that a whole new generation of players will feel “lucky to be a Yankee.”
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