L’Observateur / March 10, 1999

“Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?” That lyric from Simon and Garfunkle’s’ 1960s tune, “Mrs. Robinson,”puzzled Joe at the time. “I haven’t gone anywhere!” he is reported to havesaid. The lyric refers to a lack of real heroes at that time.On Monday morning, DiMaggio died at the age of 84, following surgery for cancer of the lungs.

Several months ago, he called down a hospital administrator for releasing information on his condition to the media. DiMaggio was an intenselyprivate man who made millions from his baseball career, yet shunned the spotlight as much as possible.

His 10-month marriage to Marilyn Monroe brought him into the unwanted limelight after his baseball retirement, but he reportedly genuinely loved Marilyn and arranged her funeral following her death in the early 1960s.

Throughout his career, DiMaggio was held up, and rightly so, as a genuine American hero. He achieved greatness through his own ability, yet retainedhis modesty and humility.

His career, from 1936 to 1951, came at a time when baseball heroes were few. Players such as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were notorious for their foultempers and womanizing. DiMaggio came along and, with his brand of quietdignity and grace, gave baseball a whole new class.

Alternately dubbed “The Yankee Clipper” and “Joltin’ Joe,” DiMaggio offered generations of youngsters a role model of a quiet, dignified life, sound achievement, good grace and true heroism to the end.

He wanted to die unnoticed but his like is rare and his life and career will not be forgotten.

Where has “Joltin’ Joe” gone? Perhaps he’s relaxing at poolside with Marilyn, getting up at times to knock a few over the center field fence.

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

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