First came the death of Joe DiMaggio, whose grace on and off the field was exceptional and inspirational.
Many great athletes forget, or never understand, their obligation to the public.
They develop a bloated sense of entitlement based on talent alone. DiMaggio knew how superb a player he was, but no matter how well he hit, ran, and threw, he was always cognizant of his responsibilities to his fans. They in turn recognized his personal character, which is why his popularity never waned. DiMaggio could have exploited his relationship with the twentieth-century sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe, but he never did. They were one of the first media supercouples, but the intense curiosity about them notwithstanding, he jealously guarded his privacy.