Dom DiMaggio
A brilliant defensive center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, often overshadowed by his brother Joe but revered by teammates for his clutch play and baseball intellect.
1917–2009 (age 92)·American baseball player·Birthday: February 12·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dom DiMaggio played his entire career in the long shadow of his older brother, Yankee legend Joe, but in Boston, he was a star in his own right. Nicknamed 'The Little Professor' for his small stature and thick glasses, he defied expectations with exceptional speed and a preternatural understanding of the game. In center field, he covered vast tracts of Fenway Park's difficult terrain, setting a record for consecutive errorless games. At the plate, he was a consistent .300 hitter and a table-setter, leading the league in runs scored twice. His career was bookended by World War II service and a bitter contract dispute, but his legacy is defined by his crucial role in the great Red Sox teams of the late 1940s, coming agonizingly close to a championship. Teammates like Ted Williams considered him one of the smartest players they ever saw.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Dom was born in 1917, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Dom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 60
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 70
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 80
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2009Died at 92
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Selected as an American League All-Star seven times during his 11-season career with the Boston Red Sox.
- Holds the Boston Red Sox record for longest consecutive game hitting streak, safely hitting in 34 straight games in 1949.
- Led the American League in runs scored twice (1950 and 1951) and in triples once (1950).
- Set a major league record for outfielders with 503 consecutive errorless chances, a mark that stood for over three decades.
Did You Know?
He was replaced by a pinch-runner in the 8th inning of the 1946 World Series Game 7, a move many fans believe cost the Red Sox the game as his defensive replacement misplayed a key hit.
After baseball, he became a highly successful businessman in the plastics manufacturing industry.
He, Joe, and brother Vince all played center field simultaneously in the major leagues, a unique family feat.
His number 7 was unofficially retired by the Red Sox, though it was later worn by other players.
“I could see the spin on the ball better than most, even with these glasses.”
