[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                IN HONOR OF JOE DIMAGGIO'S 80TH BIRTHDAY

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today on a matter which is not politically 
controversial to honor one of San Francisco's best known residents, Joe 
DiMaggio, and to wish him a happy 80th birthday on behalf of his 
millions of fans across America and around the world.
  Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born on November 25, 1914, in Marinez, CA, 
the son of Italian immigrants. He grew up in San Francisco and began 
his legendary baseball career as a member of the San Francisco Seals in 
the Pacific Coast League. By 1936, he was the starting center fielder 
for the New York Yankees where he would become known as the ``Yankee 
Clipper'' for his graceful style of play and quiet leadership.
  A fine defensive player and a powerful right-handed hitter, Joe 
compiled a lifetime batting average of .325. He hit 361 home runs in 
1,736 games, played in 10 World Series and 11 All-Star games, and was 
elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1955. In between, Joe served in 
the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945.
  As impressive as these statistics are, it is the 56-game hitting 
streak of 1941 that has immortalized Joe's long career. From May 15 
until July 16, baseball fans clung to Joltin' Joe's every at-bat in 
anticipation of another hit. First, he broke the 44-game mark set by 
Wee Willie Keeler, and then proceeded to hit safely in another 12 
games. Joe's record of hitting safely in 56 straight games is one of 
the game's legendary records and will likely never be broken.
  Since retiring from baseball, Joe DiMaggio has been a cultural icon, 
and a legendary figure in American sports. But above all, he has 
maintained the dignity, composure, and grace that has made him a 
favorite of fans for nearly six decades. Both on and off of the field, 
Joe represents the values and qualities that make an excellent role 
model for today's aspiring athletes. I salute you, Joe, and wish you a 
happy birthday!
  Mr. Speaker, I am placing at this point in the Record an editorial in 
the San Francisco Chronicle that heralds the Yankee Clipper at 80, as 
follows:

                        The Yankee Clipper at 80

       At a time when Major League Baseball has debased itself 
     with greed and selfishness, Joe DiMaggio's 80th birthday is 
     both a personal passage and a cultural milestone, a 
     bittersweet celebration of time when the game and the nation 
     alike were more civilized and gracious.
       The great DiMaggio, who marked his birthday in San 
     Francisco last week by taking family members out for a 
     characteristically low-key dinner, has always been much more 
     than one of the greatest Hall of Fame players of all time; 
     Beyond his extraordinary statistics, World Series 
     championships and never-to-be-matched 56-game hitting streak, 
     he has always been a model for America's kids.
       From his Seals Stadium days to his exploits with the New 
     York Yankees, he was both aesthetic athlete and true 
     gentleman--modest, well-mannered and devoted to the ideal of 
     team play, not self-aggrandizement. Described as ``the last 
     true American hero,'' DiMaggio is a beacon of decency and 
     values that baseball's crybaby owners and players should heed 
     if they hope to repair the damage inflicted by their puerile 
     labor strife. Happy Birthday, Joltin' Joe.

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