Joe DiMaggio Should Have Been 1936 Rookie of the Year

The New York Yankees' heralded rookie, Joe DiMaggio, made his major league debut on Sunday, May 3, 1936. The greatest center fielder in New York baseball history had suffered a foot injury that delayed his season by a few weeks.

The Yankees, who trailed the first place Red Sox by one-half game, were hosting the St. Louis Browns. They sent Lefty Gomez to the mound to face the Brownies Jack Knott, who on this particular day, could not (I apologize. I couldn't help it).

DiMaggio batted third, ahead of Lou Gehrig, and played left field.

The Browns jumped on Gomez for three runs in the first inning and finished his day in the fifth inning. The Yankees were ahead 9-5 when El Senor left, unable to complete the necessary five innings to get the win.

DiMaggio was magnificent. He singled twice and tripled in six at-bats in the 14-5 win. It was a portent of things to come.

The Yankees and Browns were rained out the next day, but both teams were unscheduled on Tuesday, May 5, which allowed them to play the final game of the series.

DiMaggio picked up where he had left off. He had three hits, all singles, in five at-bats as the Yankees easily won, 8-2.

In the seventh inning, DiMaggio singled but broke his bat. It was the bat that he had used the entire season when he hit .399 in the Pacific Coast League. Of course, Mariano Rivera wasn't in that league because he wouldn't be born for another 33 years.

The 21-year-old DiMaggio had an outstanding rookie season.

He batted .323/.352/.576 with 44 doubles, 15 triples and 29 home runs. Imagine how many more home runs he would have hit if he played in a more hitter-friendly park for right-handed hitters than Yankee Stadium.

One negative was that DiMaggio struck out more times in his rookie season than in any of his other seasons. He vowed that he would cut down on his 39 strikeouts, which came in 668 plate appearances.

Mickey Mantle struck out 74 times in 386 plate appearances in his rookie season. Willie Mays was struck out 60 times in 524 plate appearances in his freshman season.

As the modern "expert" said when an Adam Dunn or Mark Reynolds strode to the plate with a runner on third and one out: "a strikeout is just another out."

The Yankees and DiMaggio won the pennant by 19 and one-half games over the second place Detroit Tigers, breaking the Tigers streak of two consecutive flags.

Facing their New York rivals, the Giants, in the World Series, the Yankees won fairly easily in six games. DiMaggio batted .346, hitting three doubles, three singles and driving in three runs in his 26 at-bats.

The rookie of the year award wasn't instituted until 1947, when the great Jackie Robinson won it. It is quite obvious that DiMaggio would have won it in 1936.

His only competition might have come from a pitcher who became one of the all-time greats. but in 1936, when he made his major league debut, Bob Feller was only 17 years old.

References:

Childs, Kingsley. ""DiMaggio Three Hits Help Yanks Score: Joe Plays Brilliantly in His Big League Debut." New York Times. 4 May 1936. p. 23.

Effrat, Louis."Yanks Triumph, 8-2, as Malone Excels." New York Times. 6 May 1936. p. 28.