Joe DiMaggio

The National League are taking their hitting practice first and driving many balls into the center field and left field and right field stands.

And the American leaguers came right back and duplicated in the way with those famous sluggers, DiMaggio and Gehrig and those boys.

Jimmy Fox put two or three out there, and despite a number of balls, tipped into the stands.

And there's a little strong wind blowing in that direction, so we're liable to have quite a bit of scouting in this ballgame this afternoon.

And for the American League, leading off, number one, Luke Appling, playing shortstop.

Number two, Charlie Gerringer, playing second base.

Number three, Joe DiMaggio, right field.

Number four, in the cleanup position, Lou Gehrig at first base.

The National League are taking their hitting practice first and driving many balls into the center field, left field, and right field stands.

And the American leaguers came right back and duplicated in the way with those famous sluggers, DiMaggio and Gehrig and those boys.

Jimmy Fox put two or three out there, and despite a number of balls, tipped into the stands.

And there's a little strong wind blowing in that direction, so we're liable to have quite a bit of scouting in this ballgame this afternoon.

And for the American League, leading off, number one, Luke Apling, playing shortstop.

Number two, Dolly Gerringer, playing second base.

Number three, Joe DiMaggio, right field.

Number four, in the cleanup position.

And it's a single for Rolf.

Joe DiMaggio coming up.

Something wrong with Joe's bat.

After walking clear up to the plate.

Burgess Whitehead dashed out there and at the last moment he made up his mind to keep on going and he grabbed that ball with his back to the plate.

Laraping Lou Gehrig of Columbia coming up.

Joe DiMaggio had 5 out of 17.

Now we have Gehrig at bat.

So is the Lionhearted Johnny Beasley, now Lieutenant John Beasley, the freshman pitcher who won two games for the not-to-be-denied cards in that series and bested the veteran roughing in the final set, too.

Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, has gone into the service too, as has his rival in center field, the wide-ranging, rifle-throwing Terry Moore.

Country Slaughter is with him in uniform, and so is little Skeeter Rizzuto, star of last year's Yankee Lost Dogs.

Skeeter is now a sailor man, but he was around the stadium here the other day looking more like a little boy playing sailor in his dark blue uniform than a grown warrior in the greatest test of manhood and courage in the history of mankind.

balls signed by Jim Hunter for his perfect game.

I've got Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays on one ball with the old-timer game.

I've got an old Oakland Oaks, 1948 pennant winning game ball with all the Oakland Oaks on it.

Wow.

And the score at the end of two and a half innings, the Mets won, the Cubs nothing.

Well, if you weren't at Chase Stadium for last year's Mets Old Timers Day, you weren't an eyewitness to one of the most nostalgic moments in New York baseball history when Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, and Duke Snyder made their grand entrance together from center field.

And if you're not at Chase Stadium for this season's Old Timers Day on Saturday afternoon, July 8th, you won't be an eyewitness to more thrilling moments like this one.

Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio have already accepted invitations as have Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Carl Oskin, Monty Irvin, Johnny Mize, Bob Feller, Johnny Vandermeer, Lou Boudreau, Fred Lindstrom, Joe Cronin, Monty Ford, Joe Torrey, Bobby Thompson, Tony Conigliaro, and new Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews.

Mickey Mantle has accepted, but he has been ill and he had to cancel out.

The theme is hitters and no-hitters.

Plan to come early.

You don't want to miss the old-timers taking batting practice, then the traditional old-timers game, and when it's all over, the regularly scheduled game between the Mets and Cubs at 4.05 p.m. Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, hopefully Mickey Mantle will be there, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Carl Erskine, Monty Urban, Johnny Mize, Bobby Feller, Johnny Vandermeer, Lou Boudreau, Freddie Lindstrom, Joe Cronin, Whitey Ford, Joe Torre, Bobby Thompson, Tony Canigliaro, our own Ralph Kiner, and new Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews, and many, many more.

That's Old Timers Day on the next Homestead, Saturday afternoon, July the 8th.

Joe Torre is in a very heated discussion with umpires Billy Williams and Dick Stello, the discussion taking place near first base.

That is nice some of the time, but that's not always the case.

And the fact of the matter is at this point, and I went digging through this because I saw a post about Joe DiMaggio only facing, I think it was less than 400 pitchers in his entire career with the New York Yankees.

So from the late 30s to the early 50s, which obviously there were a lot less teams back then.

It was like pre-expansion era.

But I guess this was just a case of Texas perhaps taking a flyer on a guy who's a little bit younger, that maybe they could get back on track and could play a role for them and not even really cost them as much as Jacob deGrom was going to cost them this season, next season, and if that mutual option is exercised as well.

So kind of fascinating.

The trades that don't happen oftentimes are ones that you don't clearly talk about as much as the ones that do, but every once in a while, this may not... be up there with executives from the Yankees and the Red Sox get together and have a few drinks and decide to trade Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams.

It may not be that, but it was kind of interesting coming out of the trade deadline.