Remembering the greatest

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Dan Rosen

"A nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

"What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?

"Joltin' Joe has left and gone away."

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sung these words in the 1960s, and now a nation utters these sentiments as the Yankee Clipper is laid to rest tomorrow in San Francisco.

Joltin' Joe refused to open up the doors of heaven for so long before passing away Monday in his home at the age of 84. After suffering in the hospital for 99 days, a time in which his last rights were even read to him, he surprised doctors, priests and the baseball world by not surrendering to the powers above.

Why would he? He knew he was supposed to throw out the first pitch of the New York Yankees' season April 9. DiMaggio had a saying placed on his bed, "April 9: Yankee Stadium or Bust."

Unfortunately Joe D won't be able to see that day, but any American who has heard the legend of the Clipper knows he will be there, looking down from his diamond in the sky where he stands stoically in center field.

A .325 lifetime hitter with 361 home runs, three-time American League MVP, 11-time All-Star, 10-time pennant winner and the holder of nine World Series rings, DiMaggio epitomized what baseball is all about.

After being purchased by the Yankees from the San Francisco Seals in 1934 for only $25,000, he collected three hits in his major league debut against the St. Louis Browns.

On that day of June 24, 1936, a baseball legend and great humanitarian, the real Italian Stallion, was born.

DiMaggio never wanted the spotlight, but when you hit in 56 straight games, it is inevitable you will land in newspapers across the country.

People seem to forget that in game 57 of that streak in the magical baseball year of 1941, a year that saw the country coming out of a depression and a war on the horizon, DiMaggio was robbed of two hits by Cleveland's Ken Keltner. After that game, a game that DiMaggio shrugged off with his usual swagger, he went on to hit safely in 16 more games in a row. That is considered a hot streak nowadays, but for DiMaggio, it was nothing special.

His baseball career came to a close in 1951 when he officially retired from the Yankees after 13 seasons. One year later his No. 5 was put to rest among the monuments of "The House that Ruth Built."

In July 1955, the legend's face was unveiled on a plaque in the holiest of baseball cities, Cooperstown, NY.

Unfortunately, most of us never had the opportunity to see the Yankee Clipper in uniform on a bright sunny Bronx afternoon. We only hear about the legend, what our parents tell us, what we read and what few clips there are of him strutting his stuff in center field and around the base paths.

Joe DiMaggio's streak may someday be broken, but his legend will never be surpassed by anyone who comes to play the game of baseball. Not by Mark McGwire, Cal Ripken Jr., Sammy Sosa or Ken Griffey Jr.

I am just satisfied to know that I lived during the time that one of the greatest, if not the greatest ballplayer ever, was still alive.

Paul Simon asked where Joltin' Joe has gone?

Well Paul, he has gone up to heaven to fill the void as the starting center fielder on the greatest baseball team ever assembled.