(LOT 114)
1933 Joe DiMaggio Batting Image - One of the Earliest DiMaggio Professional Baseball "Pre-Rookie" Photos Extant - PSA Type 1 Encapsulated International News Photos – DiMaggio Extends Hitting Streak to 48 Games for San Francisco Seals! - Measures Approx. 6-1/2" x 8-1/2"
Joe DiMaggio's iconic name will undoubtedly "echo for eternity" and there isn't a single baseball enthusiast unaware of his unparalleled place in American history. Yet, for all of his renowned achievements, there are many fans unfamiliar with his pre-MLB professional baseball origin which eventually paved the way for this ultra-significant offering. In 1932, California born Joseph Paul DiMaggio was a shortstop playing semi-pro ball when his brother Vince convinced the San Francisco Seals manager to have Joe play a few games with the Pacific Coast League's (PCL) San Francisco team. DiMaggio played his first professional game on October 1, 1932 and only participated in 3 games with a paltry 9 at bats that inaugural Fall season. In 1933, he was converted to an outfielder and was about to embark on an unprecedented career that would ultimately lead to his hallowed status as one of the game's greatest centerfielders to ever grace a baseball diamond. Moved to the outfield for the Seals 1933 season, DiMaggio would enjoy a remarkable 61-game hitting streak that would shatter the previous 49-game PCL record set by Jack Ness back in 1915.

After a career threatening knee injury in 1934 (torn ligaments), Yankees scout Bill Essick convinced the New York front office that "Joltin Joe" would return to full strength from his injury, with the wise Yankee scout "spot on" in his assessment! After passing a physical in November 1934, the Yankees purchased DiMaggio's contract for $50,000 and 5 players. Playing his final campaign with the Seals in 1935, DiMaggio would bounce back to literally tear apart the PCL via a .398 league-leading batting average, 34 round-trippers and a staggering 154 runs batted in that would rightfully earn him the Most Valuable Player Award. The rest of the story is history as "Joe D" would begin his MLB Yankee vocation the following 1936 season, embarking on one of the most illustrious careers in baseball history. Ironically, his MLB legacy is closely tied to his seemingly un-breakable 56-game hitting streak in 1941 that prompted the illustrious song "Joltin Joe DiMaggio…We want you on our side", with the Yankee Clipper also setting the aforementioned PCL consecutive hitting streak record as well. In 1933, from May 27th to July 25th, he tallied at least a single hit in an unfathomable 61 consecutive games, prompting DiMaggio to quote after the streak: "Baseball didn't really get into my blood until I knocked off that hitting streak. Getting a daily hit became more important to me than eating, drinking or sleeping."

It is with distinct pleasure that Memory Lane now offers one of the most extraordinary Joe DiMaggio original Type 1 photos extant, a miraculous 1933 batting image of the San Francisco Seals 18-year old superstar issued on July 13, 1933 by the renowned International News Photos service (credit stamp on verso). Most significantly, this world-class image was taken during game#48 of DiMaggio's prestigious 61-game streak, leaving him only one game short of the previous 49-game mark. Furthermore, and immensely momentous is the fact that this offering arguably stands as one of the earliest known DiMaggio professional baseball images, even pre-dating his iconic 1934 PCL "Batting" pre-rookie baseball card that is sought after by a myriad of collectors. Donning his classic Seals pinstriped uniform, "Joltin Joe" has just connected on what could possibly be the "safety" that extended his consecutive-game streak to 48 games, as the dynamic slugger exhibits a fiercely intense look on his stoic facial pose. The breathtaking sepia-toned pose is well-positioned between four relatively clean borders, emulating the finest possible resolution and contrast while only revealing a modest horizontal crease near the upper left border (approx. 1-7/8" from the top edge).

Although the critical caption has been folded over in the PSA holder, before the encapsulation process we fortunately scanned the caption that reads as follows: "DEMAGGIO HITS IN 48TH STRIGHT GAME – SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA – 18 YEAR-OLD RIGHT-FIELDER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BASEBALL CLUB IN THE PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE, IS MAKING A DETREMINED BID FOR A NEW LEAGUE MARK OF HITTING SAFELY IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES. TO DATE, DEMAGGIO HAS HIT SAFELY IN 48 STRIAGYT GAMES. THE LEAGUE RECORD OF 49 STRIAGHT GAMES WAS SET 18 YEARS AGO BY JACK NESS IN 1915, FIRST BASE-MAN OF THE OAKLAND CLUB. THIS IS DEMAGGIO'S FIRST YEAR IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL. HE IS A SAN FRANCISCO BOY, AND BASEBALL CRITICS RATE HIM THE BEST HITTER IN THE LEAGUE SINCE PAUL WANER, NOW WITH THE PITTASBURGH PIRATES. AT PRESENT, DEMAGGIO IS HIITING .330 FOR THE SEASON. 7-13-33." What we find very interesting is that the International News Photo Service misspells Joe's name "DiMaggio" with an "e" as opposed to the correct "I", with his hallowed PCL Zeenut cards likewise including the same misspelled name. One of the most significant Joe DiMaggio photos to ever surface in the hobby, it conjures up vivid memories of the Yankee Clipper's inaugural professional season as well as his legendary PCL batting streak; surely residing as one his earliest and rarest professional PSA Type 1 images to ever surface for the taking!

MIN BID $1,500
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