When Joe D came to town

John Murphy

My recent Internet wanderings prompted me to look up the late New York Yankee shortstop Frankie Crosetti who I vaguely remembered was from San Francisco.

Checking that, I learned Crosetti was born in The City in 1910 and lived in the same North Beach neighborhood as Tony Lazzeri, Charlie Silvera and the three DiMaggio brothers, Joe, Dom and Vince.

I didn’t know Crosetti spent some of his formative years living in Los Gatos where he played one-a-cat, a baseball-like game, with his brother. Nor that he dropped out of Lowell High in San Francisco, my mother’s alma mater.

The more famous high school dropout of the bunch of course was Joe DiMaggio, who attended Galileo before quitting to hawk newspapers and work in an orange juice plant. He achieved greater fame for his long hitting streaks with the San Francisco Seals and New York Yankees, marrying Marilyn Monroe and as the spokesman for Mr. Coffee.

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? That’s what Simon and Garfunkel sang. Well, in 1967 — before he became Mr. Coffee — Joe D came to San Bruno Park for the debut of the Joe DiMaggio League for ages 16 to 18. He threw the ceremonial first pitch of a doubleheader.

San Bruno had two Joe D teams. My brother Jim, only 15, played third base for Flying Goose Sporting Goods that day.  

I was just 11 and a goofy kid, I guess. Because when the great Yankee Clipper paused by a water fountain to sign autographs, I handed him a paper napkin.  

“Uh, can you find me something better for me to write on? Joe D said. I searched and found the cardboard liner from a pack of Hostess Cupcakes. It still had icing on it when I gave it to the great DiMaggio who shook his head in amazement and signed.  

Watching the action that day, Joltin’ Joe spied a young boy on the distant Pee Wee League field make a spectacular catch. He summoned the kid who was Dan Voreyer of St. Robert’s School. Joe D shook his hand and chatted with him. Duly inspired, Dan went on to play on a state title team at Skyline College and become San Bruno’s fire chief.