Throughout the nineteenth century, many great athletes were a part of the American pastime we call baseball. Although each athlete was unique and special, perhaps none could compare to Joe DiMaggio. Joe's talents on the field exceeded most of his peers, and his life off the field was unlike any player ever. Joe Dimaggio was an American hero whose life reached far beyond the baseball field where his greatness was first discovered.
             Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California on November 25, 1914 ("Hall of Fame" 1). He was the poor, uneducated son of an Italian immigrant fisherman in the middle of the Great Depression. Joe's father wanted his sons to grow up educated and do well in life, so they could get away from the struggle and poverty they experienced as kids. Although Joe was very smart, it was on the baseball diamond that his true talents shone through. On the baseball field it did not matter who his parents were, how he dressed, or how much money he had. The only thing that mattered was if he could hit, run, catch, and throw, which Joe usually did better than anybody else. In 1931 Joe dropped out of high school. Since he had little education, Joe was forced to work as a laborer ("Humble Beginnings" 1). While working, however, Joe decided that baseball was the only thing he liked to do and was the only thing he was good at. Joe decided to start playing for the San Francisco Seal!
             s, a minor league team, since his brothers Tom and Vince were both part of the team. This began the career of one of the greatest baseball players of all time ("Humble Beginnings" 2).
             The Seals seemed to be the pinnacle of a baseball career for San Francisco youths in 1932. Joe made his professional debut as a shortshop during the final week of the 1932 season. He did not receive any money for his appearance, but impressed the Seals' management enough to be brought back for spr...