On a sad day for Red Sox Nation, the life of a Boston legend has come to an end.
Sox Hall of Famer Dom DiMaggio, 92, passed away early Friday morning at his home in Marion, Mass. due to complications from a recent bout with pneumonia.
“Dom DiMaggio was a beloved member of the Red Sox organization for almost 70 years,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “Even after his playing days, Dom’s presence at Fenway Park together with his teammates Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr and Johnny Pesky on numerous occasions reminded us all of a glorious Red Sox era of years past.”
DiMaggio spent his entire 13-season Major League career with the Red Sox. He broke into the minor leagues with San Francisco in 1937 before he was purchased by Boston in 1939, and he made his big league debut the next year. He missed three seasons from 1942-45 to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, but he made a triumphant return to baseball in 1946. He retired in 1953.
Among DiMaggio’s innumerable honors are seven All-Star appearances and a 34-game consecutive hit streak, which still stands as a Sox club record. As one of the game’s premier leadoff hitters, he batted .300 four times in his career and scored over 100 runs six times.
“He was a great player and, most of all, a great friend,” said former teammate Pesky. “I will miss him terribly.”
The Sox will pay tribute to DiMaggio and observe a moment of silence before Friday’s game versus Tampa Bay at Fenway Park.