Date: 1991-05-15
Speaker: VANDER JAGT (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. Its graduation time. In the 1960s that fact inspired a moviea movie that contained two memorable lines. Dustin Hoffman. the graduate. was told that the future waspause for effect-"plastics." Simon and Garfunkels musical sound track asked: "Where have you gone. Joe DiMaggio?" With the plaintive note that "A nation turns its loney eyes to you." It is true that a good deal of the Nations industrial health in recent years was made of plastic and. unfortunately much of its social and athletic life has been a little plastic too. But Joe DiMaggios past. his present. and what we hope will be a long and pleasant future has decidedly not been plasticand in many ways a nation jaded by multimilliondollar athletic salaries and scandal still turns its eyes to the Yankee Clipper to Joltin Joe. to a man who never was thrown out of a ball game and for whom the phrase "gentleman athlete" is a definition. It is fitting that Joe DiMaggio ended the feat for which he is most famous. and for which he may live in the record books forever. in the season of graduation and the spring of new beginnings. We can be reminded each year as the baseball season progresses. as the Nations thoughts turn to summers recreation and respite from the doldrums of winter and inconsistency of spring of a man who personifies all that is the best about the game which has been called our national pastime. It is also special that Joe DiMagglo is still out and about today. the 50th anniversary of his 1941 string of 56 consecutive games in which he hit safely. And he is still the gentleman. the ambassador. the generous and quiet representative that we all think the game of baseball deserves. There are many greats in our baseball folklore. A lot of baseball players have plied their trade on the fields of dreams that young men in America dream. but none is more treasured than Joe DiMaggio. It is with great pleasure that I join my colleagues in recognizing this golden anniversary. for a man good as gold and as true to himself and the sport that he played today as he has been since he firs jogged out onto a field. Joltin Joethe Nation turns its eyes to you. with thanks for some great memqries. I bring to my colleagues attention a recent article on Joe DiMaggio from the New York Timesthe paper of record in a town for which Joes record stands as a monument to a man and his career: [From the New York Times. Feb. 5. 1991] FOR JOE D. 1941 GLOWS GoLEN Now (By Dave Anderson) Only a few baseball players are identified forever with a year: Babe Ruth with 1927. Bobby Thomson with 1951. Roger Mais with 1961. Even fewer endure long enough to celebrate the golden anniversary of their year. But for Joe DiMaggio now. its as if it were 1941 when he batted safely in 56 consecutive gamesa record that has never really been approached. a record that probably will never be broken. "But if I thought after 50 years Id be going to half a dozen banquets. I would have quit hitting after 40 games." he joked Sunday night. "Dont get me wrong. I love that record." That record must love him. too. They belong together. Baseballs most majestic record is held by its most majestic personality. Up on the Sheraton Center dais at the New York Baseball Writers dinner. his silver hair glistened above his tuxedo. Hes 76 years old now. But hes still Joe D. The Yankee Clipper. Joltin Joe. The Jolter. Or. as Ernest Hemingway wrote of him in "The Old Man and The Sea." the great DiMaggio. "Joe. Joe DiMaggio." the voice of Betty Bonney had sung earlier while blackandwhite film clips of his career were shown. "we want you on our side." Another 1941 personality. Leo Durocher. who managed the Brooklyn Dodgers to the National League pennant that year before losing to the Yankees in the World Series. understood DiMaggios majesty. Honored for having been the manager of the 1951 Giants that won the pennant on Thomsons homer. Durocher is 85 now. gaunt and gravelvoiced. "I read a squib that a certain athlete was getting a millioneight and he couldnt make it." Durocher said. "Joe. do you think you could make it on a millioneight?" DiMaggio smiled gently. His highest baseball salary was $100.000. Now he earns more than that at memorabilia shows to sign. in his graceful flow. baseballs most coveted autograph. But when Durocher finished telling stories about Jim (Dusty) Rhodes and Larry MacPhail. he glanced at DiMaggia. "Youve got the coup de grace here." Durocher said. "The greatest ballplayer of all time." After introducing DiMagglo. Mel Allen. reached for a box containing DiMaggios award. "Its a piece of Waterford crystal. the only one of its kind." Allen said. "In the shape of a baseball glove." But when Allen took the crystal out of its box. it was shaped like a vase. not a glove. "Maybe this." Allen said. holding up the vase as if to catch a fly ball. "is how he did it.. After the film clips of DiMaggios career had been shown an hour earlier. more than 1.000 people stood and applauded. then he stood and raised both arms in appreciation. Now. as he arrived at the lectern. another standing ovation erupted before. he congratulated the other honorees. He told his joke about wishing he had stopped after 40 games. then he stared fondly at the crystal vase. "I had a collection of about 25 of these pieces." he said. "I gave them to my sister in San Francisco. You know what happened. The earthquake destroyed all of them. But this piece Im going to keep." He told stories about sportswriters of his time. About how at the dogtrack at spring training. Grantland Rice always had the winner because he bet every dog in the race. About how on a fishing trip Jimmy Cannon didnt reel In a marlin because he was too busy reading a book. Then he told about hitting a home run off Bobo Newsome. a big righthander of his era who in his travels pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Athletics. then owned and managed by Connie Mack. "I hit It Into the upper deck In old Shlbe Park." he recalled. "But when Bobo got back to the dugout. Mr. Mack told him. Mr. Newsome. please sit next to me. "Mr. Mack said. Mr. Newsome. what kind of a pitch did you throw DiMaggio? Bobo told him a fastball. Mr. Mack said. Mr. Newsome. I want you to throw DiMaggto nothing but curveballs. The next time up. Bobo threw me that wrinkle he called a curve. It didnt break more than 2 inches. This time I really got hold of it. I hit it over the roof. Going around the bases. I saw Bobo take a few steps toward the As dugout and yell. Mr. Mack. he hit yours farther than he hit mine." These homers occurred in 1946. five years after the streak in the year for which Joe DiMagglo will always be Identified. will always be remembered. But now In closing. he alluded to the true measure of his career: that during his 13 seasons from 1936 to 1951 (with three years in the Army). the Yankees won 10 American League pennants and nine World Series. "One day somebodys going to come along and break that record and take It away." Joe DiMaggio said. meaning his 56game streak. "But one thing they wont take away is the Yankee success during my era."