DiMaggio On The A's

[Gooch]

Hi, this is for you older A's fans out there. I was surprised to learn that Joe DiMaggio was a first or third-base coach for the club in either 1968 or 1969. How did this come to be? Why did Joe do this? Was he doing a favor for Charlie O. Finley? I know Joe lived in the Bay Area, but this seems really out of character for him! Also, can anyone post a photo of Joe wearing an A's uniform (I just can't picture Joe in green and yellow!)
Thanks

[runningshoes]

I'm not sure about the dates, but here's a picture of Joe D and Reggie.

[Gooch]

Wow, thanks, running shoes!!! That's an amazing picture! I'm glad they gave Joe his familiar #5.
I wonder if Joe was coaching the A's the same time that Ted Williams was managing the Senators. That would've been wild to see Joe and Ted together
on the same ballfield as old men!

[runningshoes]

Williams started managing the Sens in 1969 and DiMaggio was a coach in 1968-69 so they probably were on the same field that year.

A picture of that would be sweet.

[Zito75]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that you guys... I vaguely remember hearing something about Joe D doing that a few years back. Even better since I am a true Marilyn Monroe fan! :cool:

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'm not sure about the dates, but here's a picture of Joe D and Reggie.


Wow! Great photo! I never knew Joltin' Joe coached the A's. :p

[Gooch]

I am really intrigued by this and I am going to try to find more about Joe's tenure as an A's coach. My GUESS at this point was that it was a publicity stunt by Charlie O... but who knows?
Try as I might, I simply can't picture Joe DiMaggio as a 3rd base coach giving the signs/signals to A's hitters!! And can you imagine how weird it would be for Yankee fans to see Joe like this when the A's came to New York????

Incidentally, can you conceive of two more polar opposite type of hitter/people as Joe and Reggie???

[runningshoes]

This should help you a bit

http://www.whitecleats.org/hof/joed.html


When Charles Finley brought the A's to Oakland, he hired DiMaggio as Executive Vice President, coach, and public relations man. Apparently Joe set down some firm ground rules before coming on board with Finley. Specifically, he refused to work the base lines; reserved the right to decline invitations to banquets, supermarket openings and other functions he did not wish to attend; and wanted most of his goodwill time to be spent at the park so his free time would be left open. DiMaggio parted on good terms, explaining he wanted more time to golf and fish.

Many people downplay DiMaggios' role as more of typical Finley antics, a claim which no doubt is partly true. However, as one would imagine, a presence such as DiMaggios' does not go unnoticed. It was DiMaggio who taught Joe Rudi to turn his back on a fly ball, resulting in one of the most famous defensive plays in World Series history.

DiMaggio worked an hour every day with the young Reggie Jackson, teaching him how to make contact. To quote DiMaggio; "Reggie is still green as grass, we've just got to bring his talents to the surface. They're all there, no question."

In 1967 a young Sal Bando changed his batting crouch which resulted in a .192 batting average in 47 games, an injury and a demotion to single-A Vancouver. Joe D. provided the tip which pulled the future star out of his struggles. "I was getting jammed on everything, then Joe D. told me to close up my stance" said Captain Sal who anchored the championship A's at third base from 1968 to 1976.

DiMaggio witnessed one of the proudest moments in Oakland Athletics history. After Catfish Hunter threw his famous perfect game, May 8, 1968, DiMaggio was asked about the performance. "Just two words," he said, "A masterpiece." Joe also experienced the early days of the color uniforms which were uncommon in baseball at the time. Add to this the colors, Kelly Green and California Gold, and one can understand why DiMaggio took some ribbing from fans.

Few people, however, remember the most famous move which DiMaggio made while with the A's.

Before the start of the 1968 season, while things were tumultuous in preparation for the A's first season in Oakland, DiMaggio was wandering around the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum checking out the new facility and views it had to offer when he noticed that the view of home plate was obsured from view in portions of the upper deck. Oakland officials fixed the problem by moving the infield further out from the backstop; a move which resulted in the largest foul territory in the Major Leagues, and which pleases pitchers and frustrates hitters to this day.

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[soberdennis]

Williams was managing the Senators at the same time.
I remember Joe with the A's. I have no idea why he did it. I thought Finley was an idiot. I certainly don't think Joe would do it as a favor to him.
Those were the A's first two years in Oakland. Finley might have wanted to endear himself to the bay area fans by hiring Joe.

[Gooch]

Thanks so much, RunningShoes!!! This is great stuff, and I appreciate it.

[DoubleX]

Does anyone else think that DiMaggio aged really quickly after he retired? He was 53 when he coached the A's, but he looks much older. I've seen pictures of him from the late 50s and he looks older than a man in his late 30s/early 40s.

[Catfish27]

Does anyone else think that DiMaggio aged really quickly after he retired? He was 53 when he coached the A's, but he looks much older. I've seen pictures of him from the late 50s and he looks older than a man in his late 30s/early 40s.
DiMaggio was a smoker, which ages people prematurely. Working for Charlie Finley could age a man before his time, too. :D


It was DiMaggio who taught Joe Rudi to turn his back on a fly ball, resulting in one of the most famous defensive plays in World Series history.
I recall Rudi crediting DiMaggio on the video of the 1972 World Series. That was a fantastic catch Rudi made, and couldn't have come at a better time. (It was the bottom of the ninth inning in a 2-0 game with no outs and a runner at first.)



Great work, shoes!

[Chisox73]

That's great stuff you got there runningshoes!:clapping

Great work there.

[Gooch]

Does anyone else think that DiMaggio aged really quickly after he retired? He was 53 when he coached the A's, but he looks much older. I've seen pictures of him from the late 50s and he looks older than a man in his late 30s/early 40s.

I think Joe DiMaggio aged very gracefully (those good Sicilian genes!). Actually, I think he looked better as an older man than when he was young! If you look at photos of him as a young Yankee ('36, '37), he looked rather goofy, like a cross between Gomer Pyle and a horse. But look at him in his 50s and 60s, he looked like a movie star.

I also learned that Joe was a board director with the Baltimore Orioles at one point, too. Odd that the Yankees never asked him work for them in some capacity.

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

[runningshoes]

That's about everything of any substance in sources available to me. I haven't been able to find anything about his contract being terminated other than a reference to it in an article about the feud between Reggie Jackson and Hank Bauer.

Enjoy.

[runningshoes]

That's great stuff you got there runningshoes!:clapping

Great work there.

Thanks guys.

I enjoy the research and reading the articles. Next time Joe D comes up in a conversation I'll be able to swing it to his time with the A's and impress everyone. :laugh

[Gooch]

Thanks guys.

I enjoy the research and reading the articles. Next time Joe D comes up in a conversation I'll be able to swing it to his time with the A's and impress everyone. :laugh

Amazing stuff you found there, RunningShoes.
I had read the biography of DiMaggio (Hero's Life by Cramer) and I don't recall them even mentioning Joe's stint with the A's!

[Rose4theHall]

Can I just say that this thread has made my day 100% better! Thank you so much to all the historians involved.:clapping