These players exemplify the sense that celebrity has sought them, not the other way around. They speak trite words about showing up and playing their best, and they actually seem to mean them. One of DiMaggio's standard quotes was that he always tried his hardest on the field, because at every game he played, there was someone in the stands who was seeing him for the only time. If a character said that in a movie, we'd roll our eyes. If a ballplayer said it today, we'd sneer.
Language molds everyone's life.
Some people, like Joe DiMaggio, expand to fill the mold. My kid will tell his kids his name. Rob Neyer recounts a wild ending at Fenway and a memorable dinner with Buck Martinez. Hating to See Hank Go When Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg decided to retire, Red Smith wanted him to stick around. Debating the future of Fenway Park.