Dimaggio's Best Season?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I don't even see any issue there, that he was paid or even "expected to" do anything, walk or hit.
It was just Joe doing what he did, that was his style of hitting.

Joe was a great, great ballplayer. Drawing lots of walks, IMO, is mostly an innate skill. Joltin' Joe didn't really have this innate skill to a high degree like Ruth, Williams, Bonds, Thomas, etc. But that's ok because the Yankee Clipper was so ridiculously talented and skilled at every aspect of baseball it didn't matter than Joe wasn't a 100 walks per season type of hitter.

[brett]

If this list is accurate, assuming it is.
Going to point out a factor I often insert when Joe Dimaggio is the subject, Joe was a right handed batter.
We keep seeing on this board, factors that effect hitting and pitching and that are always factored in when ranking players...era played in, park factors, rule changes and others. Why is which side of the plate not considered, the numbers show the obvious, RH batters have the more unfavorable condition.

I usually don't get much feedback whan I bring up conditions, not just for Joe but all RH batters and the fact that being that there are more RH pitchers in the game, more so years ago. And that has an effect on RH batter, LH hitters historically have the more favorable condition.

Everyone can bat which ever way is best for them. You can't choose your park, or your league or the year you were born so much.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I did some digging here. I can't confirm this, but I believe Dimaggio is one of only 5 players in MLB history to post a 1.200 OPS on the road for a season.

Here's the list of 1.200 OPS seasons on the road that I came up with:

J Dimaggio 1939 1.255
T Williams 1941 1.228
T Williams 1957 1.318
Ba. Bonds 1993 1.247
Ba. Bonds 2001 1.332
Ba. Bonds 2002 1.438
Ba. Bonds 2004 1.252
Lou Gehrig 1927 1.296
Lou Gehrig 1930 1.289
Lou Gehrig 1932 1.208
Babe Ruth 1920 1.260
Babe Ruth 1921 1.251
Babe Ruth 1923 1.255
Babe Ruth 1924 1.237
Babe Ruth 1926 1.267
Babe Ruth 1927 1.249
Babe Ruth 1931 1.238
Babe Ruth 1932 1.217

If this list is accurate, assuming it is.
Going to point out a factor I often insert when Joe Dimaggio is the subject, Joe was a right handed batter.
We keep seeing on this board, factors that effect hitting and pitching and that are always factored in when ranking players...era played in, park factors, rule changes and others. Why is which side of the plate not considered, the numbers show the obvious, RH batters have the more unfavorable condition.

I usually don't get much feedback whan I bring up conditions, not just for Joe but all RH batters and the fact that being that there are more RH pitchers in the game, more so years ago. And that has an effect on RH batter, LH hitters historically have the more favorable condition.

Here is again, look at the list, only one RH batter on that list, despite the fact that there were historically more RH batters in the game.

Top ten career batting average.........7 out of the 10 are left handed batters.

Since Joe's first year 1936 to the year 2006...........batters with a career BA. over .300
LH batters career .300 or better--.344---.338---.331---.328---.328
RH batters career .300 or better..............only one, Joe Dimaggio .325.

Lets stop selling this guy short. Played in a park death on RH hitters, RH batter facing lots of pitchers pitching from the same side RH.
Short career counts against him but I wonder how many RH batters since 1936 that had a 13 year span "within" their career had .325 over 13 seasons in that time period. Maybe Foxx, Medwick a few others.

Take your pick, LH batter were just born better hitters or the fact that there have been more RH pitcher in the game favored LH batters...........easy choice.

[pheasant]

I did some digging here. I can't confirm this, but I believe Dimaggio is one of only 5 players in MLB history to post a 1.200 OPS on the road for a season.

Here's the list of 1.200 OPS seasons on the road that I came up with:

J Dimaggio 1939 1.255
T Williams 1941 1.228
T Williams 1957 1.318
Ba. Bonds 1993 1.247
Ba. Bonds 2001 1.332
Ba. Bonds 2002 1.438
Ba. Bonds 2004 1.252
Lou Gehrig 1927 1.296
Lou Gehrig 1930 1.289
Lou Gehrig 1932 1.208
Babe Ruth 1920 1.260
Babe Ruth 1921 1.251
Babe Ruth 1923 1.255
Babe Ruth 1924 1.237
Babe Ruth 1926 1.267
Babe Ruth 1927 1.249
Babe Ruth 1931 1.238
Babe Ruth 1932 1.217

[SHOELESSJOE3]

DiMaggio wasn't held back in the PCL. The Seals waited until they got the best deal for him. They weren't anyone's farm team in that era.

I doubt if DiMaggio was being paid to walk while with the Yankees. Too many walks from him would have probably resulted in a pay cut. He was being paid to hit the ball.

I don't even see any issue there, that he was paid or even "expected to" do anything, walk or hit.
It was just Joe doing what he did, that was his style of hitting.

[Seels]

Too much Bill James. DiMaggio didn't walk enough for these losers. He also didn't play long enough. These morons don't know that he was held back in the PCL (unlike Williams) and not allowed to go to the majors at an early age. Oh yeah, and he couldn't control Hitler.

I actually saw top 25-30 lists without DiMaggio. Without Joe freaking DiMaggio!!! They valued Darrell Evans and Ferriss Fain over DiMaggio because they got on base so much. I have baseball friends who don't post on the internet and I'd tell them of the downgrading of Joe D and we'd laugh and laugh.

Joe DiMaggio was a non-parallel player and a baseball icon. It's good to see knowledgable fans herse, who look at ALL the ways to rate players, especially road/home stats.

You couldn't be more full of it if you tried. I really don't know why you exaggerate so much to prove your point, it just makes you look even more absurd to those who know better. No one ranks Evans or Fain over DiMaggio and you know that, you're just being difficult for the sake of it. There's a difference between not thinking DiMaggio is as good as Mantle or Williams (which he isn't) and thinking he's not as good as Evans or Fain; I don't know why you can't make this distinction.

[EdTarbusz]

Too much Bill James. DiMaggio didn't walk enough for these losers. He also didn't play long enough. These morons don't know that he was held back in the PCL (unlike Williams) and not allowed to go to the majors at an early age. Oh yeah, and he couldn't control Hitler.

.

DiMaggio wasn't held back in the PCL. The Seals waited until they got the best deal for him. They weren't anyone's farm team in that era.

I doubt if DiMaggio was being paid to walk while with the Yankees. Too many walks from him would have probably resulted in a pay cut. He was being paid to hit the ball.

[GiambiJuice]

Too much Bill James. DiMaggio didn't walk enough for these losers. He also didn't play long enough. These morons don't know that he was held back in the PCL (unlike Williams) and not allowed to go to the majors at an early age. Oh yeah, and he couldn't control Hitler.

I actually saw top 25-30 lists without DiMaggio. Without Joe freaking DiMaggio!!! They valued Darrell Evans and Ferriss Fain over DiMaggio because they got on base so much. I have baseball friends who don't post on the internet and I'd tell them of the downgrading of Joe D and we'd laugh and laugh.

Joe DiMaggio was a non-parallel player and a baseball icon. It's good to see knowledgable fans herse, who look at ALL the ways to rate players, especially road/home stats.

I'm a bit skeptical. Even the biggest "Sabr-nerd" in the world, bending and twisting the most advanced metrics available, couldn't POSSIBLY rank Darrell Evans over Joe Dimaggio! That's insane.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

Too much Bill James. DiMaggio didn't walk enough for these losers. He also didn't play long enough. These morons don't know that he was held back in the PCL (unlike Williams) and not allowed to go to the majors at an early age. Oh yeah, and he couldn't control Hitler.

I actually saw top 25-30 lists without DiMaggio. Without Joe freaking DiMaggio!!! They valued Darrell Evans and Ferriss Fain over DiMaggio because they got on base so much. I have baseball friends who don't post on the internet and I'd tell them of the downgrading of Joe D and we'd laugh and laugh.

Joe DiMaggio was a non-parallel player and a baseball icon. It's good to see knowledgable fans herse, who look at ALL the ways to rate players, especially road/home stats.

Jeez it would be interesting to see a Fans top 20 list over there. I think the top 20 here is pretty accurate.

[JR Hart]

I've never gone to the ESPN forum but why did they say he wasn't a alltime great?

Too much Bill James. DiMaggio didn't walk enough for these losers. He also didn't play long enough. These morons don't know that he was held back in the PCL (unlike Williams) and not allowed to go to the majors at an early age. Oh yeah, and he couldn't control Hitler.

I actually saw top 25-30 lists without DiMaggio. Without Joe freaking DiMaggio!!! They valued Darrell Evans and Ferriss Fain over DiMaggio because they got on base so much. I have baseball friends who don't post on the internet and I'd tell them of the downgrading of Joe D and we'd laugh and laugh.

Joe DiMaggio was a non-parallel player and a baseball icon. It's good to see knowledgable fans herse, who look at ALL the ways to rate players, especially road/home stats.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

Wow awesome

Yes, DiMaggio played in a horriffic park for right handed hitters. On the ESPN forum the nerds there downgraded him out their top players. Yes Joe D!! Good to see him get some some love here . Joe D is an all-time great!!

I've never gone to the ESPN forum but why did they say he wasn't a alltime great?

[JR Hart]

Wow awesome

Yes, DiMaggio played in a horriffic park for right handed hitters. On the ESPN forum the nerds there downgraded him out their top players. Yes Joe D!! Good to see him get some some love here . Joe D is an all-time great!!

[pheasant]

Some points looking at just his road splits:
In 1937 he slugged .711 with 224 total bases and 87 RBI on the road. Given a normal home edge he would have gone about .732 with a record 460 total bases and 183 RBI

In 1939 he went .413/.486/.769 on the road and had 76 RBI in 56 road games. Again with a normal home edge and neutral park that would be .421/.496/.792 nearly a record avg, and nearly a 1300 OPS and a predicted 84 RBI in 56 for just under 1.5 per game! Granted all players have variations and he had some more normal splits but:

Here are a few road relative road OPS+'s

1937: 190
1939: 227
1941: 216

(also grant however that he didn't have to face his own pitching staff which accounts for about 3% on those OPS+'s).

Perhaps only Barry Bonds in the early 2000s beats his peak road OPS+. Maybe Ruth's 1918-1919 and Gehrig's 1930 road stats come close.

[brett]

Some points looking at just his road splits:
In 1937 he slugged .711 with 224 total bases and 87 RBI on the road. Given a normal home edge he would have gone about .732 with a record 460 total bases and 183 RBI

In 1939 he went .413/.486/.769 on the road and had 76 RBI in 56 road games. Again with a normal home edge and neutral park that would be .421/.496/.792 nearly a record avg, and nearly a 1300 OPS and a predicted 84 RBI in 56 for just under 1.5 per game! Granted all players have variations and he had some more normal splits but:

Here are a few road relative road OPS+'s

1937: 190
1939: 227
1941: 216

(also grant however that he didn't have to face his own pitching staff which accounts for about 3% on those OPS+'s).

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Was his father ever detained even for just a few days? I always found that odd that they would treat a American hero like Dimaggio's parents like that.

I thought I read some where that he was detained. Possible it was meant he had to report some where to register. I don't think he was detained for more than a few hours.