Williams-DiMaggio trade

[Chadwick]

Many of you have, like myself, heard about the infamous trade wherein the Red Sox and Yankee owners were drinking together late one night and agreed to swap their star players - Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. I've heard the trade fell apart the next morning alternately because one or both of the owners sobered up or because Tom Yawkey (the Boston owner) was adamant about the Yankees throwing in a young Yogi Berra to boot.

Does anyone know what the actual story is? When was this supposed to have happened? And, most curiously, when and where did this story first appear? What's the earliest appearance of this anecdote that any of you know of?

[sschirmer]

I heard it fell apart due to Marylin Monroe doing a lap dance for Tom Yawkey, to which Mrs. Yawkey was none too pleased.

[skeletor]

The Lap dance that changed ML History

I heard it fell apart due to Marylin Monroe doing a lap dance for Tom Yawkey, to which Mrs. Yawkey was none too pleased.

EEKAMONGA !......It was the lap dance that changed ML history..

[sschirmer]

EEKAMONGA !......It was the lap dance that changed ML history..

Finally, someone else with a sense of humor.

[skeletor]

little bit of cultural dance on me loins

Finally, someone else with a sense of humor.

Heck, MM could lap dance this olde Tiger fan..anytime..
seven year itch, indeed !......whoa, nellie...or in this case,
whoa, Marilyn.......I remember years ago, reading about
Joe D, watching his then wife on the set of Billy Wilder's
'7 year itch for 20th century Fox...and he just about flipped
out when they did that famouse scene, when the subway
grate blew her skirt up over her head...and Joe D, just about
swallowed his cookies......

[skeletor]

Joe D and Ted W show

Both of those players, as great as they were..had to probably deal
with a lot of personal demons...which the press back there, sorta
'side stepped' reporting 'em....Joe D, was a momma's boy..and had weird
ideas about women..and more..and was off in his own little world..
Going from the Bay Area, to the BIG APPLE, musta been culture shock
for the Yankee clipper....His brother Dominick, who played with the
hated RED SOX, was the more saner of the two..

Years later, Joe D...pitched a lot of products on the tube..i.e. mr.coffee

etc...and years later, a sizzling book on him after he passed on..was
written..revealing his dark underside......

as for TEDDY BALLGAME....similar demons...wasn't much of a ladies man,
was totally into the science of hitting, and fishing.....served the military
in both WW2 & Korea....fought with fans and the press in Boston...
was considered the king of the horse's arses in Boston......

and years later, his head ended up being removed from his body,
stored like some sort of prized baseball item..and his DNA was once
being offered for sale...finally his sub moronic son, who fought his
sister for the estate and the 'head' of papa Williams, died of cancer
not too soon later....

both Joe and Ted ..were great players, but terribly flawed and troubled
human beings...

[sschirmer]

You are very correct on both counts. Williams grew up in a bit of poverty, dominearing mother, etc.

[hellborn]

I think that the thing with Williams more than being dominated was being ignored...his mother was out bell ringing for the Salvation Army all day, his father worked in his photo studio all hours to make sure that he didn't see her. Ted and Danny effectively get no parenting as a result. He said that his playground manager was the only adult to give him any attention!
Joe D seemed to have a very exact expectation for how people in his life were supposed to behave, and if they didn't meet it, they were out of his life. He wouldn't acknowledge Joe Jr. and the poor kid had a horrible, drug-plagued life...died only a few months after his Dad.
It seemed like Ted would at least be straight with people and tell them what he thought of them (loudly), Joe D was an icy person who never told people anything. Joe even gave Ted the cold shoulder and Ted let people know about it! Joe disingenuously told a dinner crowd that he regretted never having fished with the masterful Ted, and Ted screamed out that Joe was invited three times and never showed.

[skeletor]

Joe and Ted

couple of characters, to say the least...Was thinking of the stats
Teddy could have had...if the military didn't snag him twice..like
similar players, (Hank Greenberg) he lost some prime years and
overall numbers...question being, who was the loonier of the two ?

and could either of them done as well in Boston (Joe D ) and
New York, (Ted ) ?


thank god MM did that lap dance for the RED SOX owner....

[sschirmer]

I think that the thing with Williams more than being dominated was being ignored...his mother was out bell ringing for the Salvation Army all day, his father worked in his photo studio all hours to make sure that he didn't see her. Ted and Danny effectively get no parenting as a result. He said that his playground manager was the only adult to give him any attention!
Joe D seemed to have a very exact expectation for how people in his life were supposed to behave, and if they didn't meet it, they were out of his life. He wouldn't acknowledge Joe Jr. and the poor kid had a horrible, drug-plagued life...died only a few months after his Dad.
It seemed like Ted would at least be straight with people and tell them what he thought of them (loudly), Joe D was an icy person who never told people anything. Joe even gave Ted the cold shoulder and Ted let people know about it! Joe disingenuously told a dinner crowd that he regretted never having fished with the masterful Ted, and Ted screamed out that Joe was invited three times and never showed.

This is a wonderful post. Good information.

[JACKIE42]

http://www.yesnetwork.com/announcers/article.asp?article_id=165

[Appling]

I was 12 or 13 when I first heard the trade proposed (1948 or so?), but I didn't know then how close it was to actually happening. All the discussion I remember was how would such a change help both players.

Certainly Yankee Stadium is no paradise for RH hitters, while Fenway Park is a great place for RH pull hitters. Joe would certainly have more career homeruns if he finished his career in Boston -- but I suspect he would have retired rather than finish in Boston.

Ted might have done very well in New York -- great park for LH pull hitter. But only if he could handle the NY press, which I doubt. Yankee fans and media seem to prefer "home grown" talent over "imports".

Most importantly, I don't think the Red Sox would have won any World Series simply because the Clipper had joined their squad.

Timing is everything!
If such a trade were made after the 1948 season, I have no doubt that the Yankees would have benefitted more. (Unless they had to throw in young Yogi Berra -- which I never heard before.)

[bluezebra]

If this trade had gone through, the fans in Boston and New York would have burned Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. With the owners inside.

Bob

[four tool]

The trade was discussed in 1949, way to late for Joe to have an impact on the Sox or on his numbers--but Ted in Yankee for the last decade of his career? That would be interesting

[BasEbaLlKnoItAll]

i always thought this subject was very interesting. I remember a few weeks ago a saturday morning radio host (not a well-known guy, I dont remember his name, hes on 1050 ESPN Radio if anyone happens to know his name) and he played a clip of an interview he did with Joe concerning this very subject. Joe seemed as if he would have preffered to stay with the Yankees, but also said he would have embraced the opprotunity of plying in Fenway and also playing with Dom. As a Yankee fan I have to admit that it would have been very nice if we Had Ted in pinstripes, but fir the better of the franchise im glad we stuck with Joe.

I also have never heard that the Sox requested Yogi Berra, pretty interesting.