13. “The Yankee Clipper” / “Joltin'” Joe Joe DiMaggio
New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio was an absolute star both on and off the baseball diamond.
On the field, DiMaggio dominated in all aspects of the game. His hitting ability was phenomenal, and he provided the Yankees with a perennial .300 hitter and constant home run threat throughout his career. His presence in the outfield did not go unnoticed, either. DiMaggio was nicknamed “The Yankee Clipper,” a reference to a great sailing ship, for his gracefulness in centerfield.
Off the field, he was a celebrity. He married starlets Dorothy Arnold and Marilyn Monroe, and became a regular fixture in American pop culture.
DiMaggio earned another nickname, “Joltin’ Joe”, during his MLB-record 56-game hitting streak in 1941. To illustrate just how much of an American icon he was during this time, Les Brown and His Orchestra produced a song honoring the hit streak.
Lyrics to the hit track are below:
"He started baseball’s famous streak/ That’s got us all aglow He’s just a man and not a freak/ Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio He tied the mark at forty-four/ July the 1st, you know Since then he’s hit a good twelve more/ Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio From coast to coast that’s all you’ll hear/ Of Joe the one man show He’s glorified the horsehide sphere/ Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio He’ll live in baseball’s Hall of Fame/ He got there blow by blow Our kids will tell their kids his name/ Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio And now they speak in whispers low/ Of how they stopped our Joe One night in Cleveland, Oh, Oh, Oh/ Goodbye streak DiMaggio"
Of all the players to grace this list, only Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio can lay claim to having a hit song made in his nickname’s memory.
Next: 12. The Big Unit