It was on this day in 1951 that Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from baseball.  The “Yankee Clipper” was 37-years-old when he made the announcement.

DiMaggio played all 13 years of his prolific career with the New York Yankees (1936–1942, 1946–1951).  He would make the All-Star game during each of those seasons, and he won an incredible nine World Series Championships and three American League MVP awards during that time.  With his production declining and his injuries mounting,

DiMaggio decided to call it a career following the 1951 season.

Joltin' Joe finished his career with 2,214 hits, 361 home runs, 1,537 RBIs and a .325 batting average.  And he also holds the one MLB record that many believe will be the hardest to break—his 56-game hitting streak.

Here is “The Joe DiMaggio Story.”

Notable Birthdays

Daniel Alfredsson, NHL - Born on December 11, 1972 (age 40) in Gothenburg, Sweden

Willie McGinest, NFL - Born on December 11, 1971 (age 41) in Long Beach, California

Mark Streit, NHL – Born on December 11, 1977 (age 35) in Englisberg, Switzerland