Joe Dimaggio

In 1947, Ted Williams won the American League's Triple Crown. He led the league in batting with a .343 average, in home runs with 32, and in RBIs with 114.  Williams had a .499 on base average, a .634 slugging percentage, and drew 162 walks.

In 1947, Joe DiMaggio hit .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs. He had a .391 on base average, a .522 slugging percentage and 64 walks.

There is no comparison.

Saying you watch the New York Yankees for their defensive prowess is like saying you watch Jersey Shore for the thoughtful and intelligent dialogue.

In other words, you're not kidding anybody.

Defense is baseball's subtle art form, and the Yankees have made their mark on the sport by being the opposite. They are the Bronx Bombers, after all, and they didn't get that moniker for their soft hands and adroit use of the crow hop.

That said, you don't win 27 World Series titles with a team full of Giambinos bumbling around the field.

Ryan Braun is good.

While that is hardly breaking news to hardcore, or even casual, baseball fans, what may surprise most people is just how good Braun is.

The 26-year-old Braun is already historically good. He is all-time great good. With the power stats he's posted in his first three seasons in the majors, his name easily sits next to others like Pujols, Mathews, Kiner, and DiMaggio.

Brit Annie Spares is not fond of many New York Yankees.

She has said on more than one occasion that she didn't like Joe DiMaggio, but she followed that up by telling anyone who would listen that she admired him more than any player she had ever seen.

Brit Annie recalls some anecdotes her mother told her about DiMaggio's great hitting streak in 1941.

Let's get it straight. I didn't like Joe DiMaggio. He was stand-offish, prideful, and, to use a modern term, too full of himself.

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This is the eighth installment of the Cooperstown’s Best Series.  We only have one more to go after this, and then the recap showing each position’s leader.

This position has more Negro League players than most of the others.  They are Cool Papa Bell, Willard Brown, Oscar Charleston, Pete Hill, Turkey Stearnes and Cristobal Torriente.  As has been my policy, I cannot rank them on this list.

Joe DiMaggio played his last game on Oct. 10, 1951.

William Earl "Bill" Essick, the Yankees' West Coast scout who signed Joe DiMaggio, died in his sleep two days later at the age of 69 as a result of a heart ailment. One can romanticize the events, but they were merely coincidental.

Bill Essick Hated to Lose

Essick was known as "Vinegar Bill" because he hated to lose so much. It was not unusual for him not to say anything for hours after a loss.

Immediately following his appearance on ESPN's First Take, in the midst of a 30-game hitting streak, Ryan Zimmerman proceeded to go 0-for-3 in the Washington Nationals' 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants, thus ending his run at history.

What is the importance of a number on a baseball jersey? How long have they been wearing numbers?

All teams began wearing numbers on their jerseys in 1937 though some wore them inconsistently prior to that.

In 1929 the Yankees started wearing numbers on their jerseys. Their numbers corresponded to their place in the batting order. In other words Babe Ruth batted third, therefore he was #3. Lou Gehrig batted fourth so he wore #4.

Today, it is quite fashionable for young guys to emulate their favorite player by wearing his number on their little league uniforms.

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Ryan Zimmerman grounded out sharply in his final at-bat of the night, realizing that San Francisco would be the final resting place of his prolonged accomplishment.

Zimmerman’s 30-game hit streak had come to a close, reminding those around baseball exactly how impressive "56" truly is.