Joe DiMaggio Makes His Major League Debut

On May 3, 1936, Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He went 3-for-6 with a triple and two singles as the Yankees demolished the St. Louis Browns 14-5. He batted third in the lineup, directly ahead of Lou Gehrig, and played left field.

DiMaggio was 21 years old and already famous. He had hit in 61 consecutive games for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1933, a streak that drew national attention and put every major league team on alert. The Yankees bought his contract in 1934 but left him in San Francisco for one more season after he injured his knee getting out of a jitney cab. When he finally arrived in New York, expectations were enormous.

He met them immediately. His first career hit was a single in the second inning off Browns starter Jack Knott. His triple came in the sixth. The Yankees scored freely behind Lefty Gomez, and DiMaggio looked comfortable from the first at-bat, showing the smooth left-handed swing and relaxed outfield grace that would define his 13-year career.

Gehrig, who had watched Babe Ruth depart after 1934, saw in DiMaggio the next anchor for the lineup. "I marveled at Joe's coolness under fire," Gehrig said after the game. The two would bat back-to-back through the 1936 and 1937 seasons, powering the Yankees to consecutive World Series titles.

DiMaggio hit .323 with 29 home runs and 125 RBI in his rookie season. The Yankees won the pennant and the World Series, starting a run of four consecutive championships. The dynasty that Ruth built was supposed to fade after his departure. DiMaggio's arrival on May 3 proved it was just changing hands.