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Dimaggio: Setting the Record Straight
Describes the life of the Yankee Clipper, covering his thirteen-year baseball career, including his fifty-six game hitting streak, and his relationships with his teammates, family, and his ex-wife, Marilyn Monroe.
418 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 12, 2010
The New York Yankees made Joe DiMaggio a household name, but it took Brooklyn-born, Florida-based attorney Morris Engelberg to make DiMaggio wealthy. Now, Engelberg puts his personal spin on the life and times of the Yankee Clipper, who died in 1999, with Engelberg by his side, after a short battle with lung cancer. But contrary to the book's provocative subtitle, Engelberg's effort is little more than a paean to DiMaggio, his childhood idol turned dream client. Engelberg writes that he regarded DiMaggio, whose affairs he managed for the last 16 years of the slugger's life, as his "best friend" rather than a client. Not surprisingly, the book reads as though it were written by a best friend, heavy on deference and light on detail-except when it comes to Engelberg's record-setting success in peddling DiMaggio to memorabilia dealers.
Indeed, more baseballs are signed than swatted in this version of DiMaggio's life, while DiMaggio's legendary 13-year Hall-of-Fame career, which includes a record 56-game hitting streak and nine World Series rings, is recalled in a brisk 60 pages. Off the field, DiMaggio's famously complicated relationships, including those with his brother and rival, Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio, and Yankee teammates like Gehrig and Mantle, are largely unexplored. Even chapters devoted to DiMaggio's relationships with ex-wife Marilyn Monroe, and his estranged son, Joe Jr., are shallow and disappointing. To his credit, Engelberg clearly made DiMaggio a rich man. But his almost unsettling reverence for and loyalty to his subject overwhelm any attempts, however timid, to truly understand one of the game's greatest and most enigmatic icons.
Indeed, more baseballs are signed than swatted in this version of DiMaggio's life, while DiMaggio's legendary 13-year Hall-of-Fame career, which includes a record 56-game hitting streak and nine World Series rings, is recalled in a brisk 60 pages. Off the field, DiMaggio's famously complicated relationships, including those with his brother and rival, Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio, and Yankee teammates like Gehrig and Mantle, are largely unexplored. Even chapters devoted to DiMaggio's relationships with ex-wife Marilyn Monroe, and his estranged son, Joe Jr., are shallow and disappointing. To his credit, Engelberg clearly made DiMaggio a rich man. But his almost unsettling reverence for and loyalty to his subject overwhelm any attempts, however timid, to truly understand one of the game's greatest and most enigmatic icons.
February 6, 2011
I do not have complaints about the way the book is written but rather disappointment in Joe DiMaggio as a person. This was written by his 'best friend' [see my following comments] so I am sure Joe was seen in the best light. However, I found nothing to admire or respect him for other than his great baseball talent. I was really turned off by the chapter on his card signing shows. For the huge fees he collected he resented any dealer that might make a buck off of one of his signed baseballs. He was a stingy man - not only with his money but his affection also. He seemed to have an attitude that no one was ever to take advantage off him so he made sure to take advantage of them.
I have always believed friendship was a two way street. The author was a lapdog to DiMaggio and I can't imagine why except to be close to his hero. Hero worship is okay but he carried it a little too far. At first I felt sorry for him and then I decided this was one huge fool to put himself in that position. He paid for all dinners, groceries, taxis, cleaning bills etc.. and then also did all his legal work for free. This 'best friend' was flying all over on ever whim DiMaggio had [at his own expense] and representing him legally and not earning one red cent. Either he is lying or he is the biggest fool I've ever heard of.
In many ways DiMaggio reminds me of Nolan Ryan. Neither has much of a personality and can pinch a penny to make two! I'm sure they are nice men as far as morals but they do not make good subjects for books since no one knows what they are thinking or their feelings.
I have always believed friendship was a two way street. The author was a lapdog to DiMaggio and I can't imagine why except to be close to his hero. Hero worship is okay but he carried it a little too far. At first I felt sorry for him and then I decided this was one huge fool to put himself in that position. He paid for all dinners, groceries, taxis, cleaning bills etc.. and then also did all his legal work for free. This 'best friend' was flying all over on ever whim DiMaggio had [at his own expense] and representing him legally and not earning one red cent. Either he is lying or he is the biggest fool I've ever heard of.
In many ways DiMaggio reminds me of Nolan Ryan. Neither has much of a personality and can pinch a penny to make two! I'm sure they are nice men as far as morals but they do not make good subjects for books since no one knows what they are thinking or their feelings.
June 20, 2008
Overall the book noted some interesting things about DiMaggio and the reader learns more about Joe's personality and his life, but the author tended to get on my nerves. He was DiMaggio's lawyer and long-time friend but was clearly obsessed with the guy. He got rid of his car that Joe didn't like and bought the same car Joe had. Then after DiMaggio died he went out and bought his original car again. He dressed in the same clothes as DiMaggio and had to recount that fact at every couple of pages. The whole book is full of his obsession with the man. Take it for what it's worth... factor in the author into how you view this book. Taking the author's own view of things very lightly is what I did and I was able to pull out the interesting parts of the book. Not a bad read for a commuter's train ride, but not something I would sit around on a Saturday and spend time reading.
February 24, 2019
Morris Engelberg was Joe D’s lawyer and friend for the last sixteen years of his life. He represented Joe in his many business ventures free of charge, which seemed to be a theme throughout Joe’s life. Joe spent four or five days a week in Morris’s office and it goes without saying that Morris knew the man well.
What emerges throughout this book is a portrait of an uncomplicated man but a man with many ghosts. Joe, as everyone knows, was one of the best players in the history of baseball. He was fiercely competitive and rose to all challenges. He was a man of his word, a man who insisted on presenting an image worthy of the club he played for both during and after his playing days. He was, through and through, a Yankee.
What surprised me was the fact that Joe lived such a sheltered life, never paying for anything. Bills as big as house rent and utilities to as small as a meal out were always taken care of by someone. He was more than frugal, he was cheap. This could have come from the fact that, although he was the highest paid player in baseball at one time, he never made any “real money” until Morris began representing him in his business deals.
The book also shows the moral side of Joe, he believed what was right was right and there was no wavering from that, at any time. He was a bit miffed at the way major league baseball treated him but never complained. He would never put down another player in public but he also worried about the state of the game with the showmanship and the deteriorating fielding and base running, the game moving more and more towards power hitters.
It touched on, but did not explain in detail, the fall out with his brothers and how he adored his grandchildren. How he would refuse to sign bats for anyone, for any fee, but would present as many as 50 to a friend on a special occasion. He was truly an introspective, quiet man, who presented himself to the public with class and they viewed him in awe, no matter what his private demons were. There were no scandals, no DUIs, no paternity suits surrounding him. Although he was divorced twice his true loved remained, until the day he died, Marilyn Monroe, his second wife.
Joe was idolized by so many and had the privilege to meet every President from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, dining at the White House on many occasions. He also loved his fans, the ones that adored him, and took time to talk to them when possible and sign autographs whenever he could, even to the point that he could not go out to eat or to the grocery store without someone to “run buffer” for him. A celebrity at a time when celebrities were not swarmed like he was. Everyone wanted to be near Joe D, even in the same room was good enough for most.
For any fan of Dimaggio, any fan of Dimaggio’s era of baseball, or any fan of baseball or history this is a good, insightful book, into the man and the myth. It’s not only informative but personal, as the writer had a closer personal relationship with the subject. If baseball or celebrities are not your thing you may want to pass.
Bottom line, I liked it and the 420 pages west fast.
What emerges throughout this book is a portrait of an uncomplicated man but a man with many ghosts. Joe, as everyone knows, was one of the best players in the history of baseball. He was fiercely competitive and rose to all challenges. He was a man of his word, a man who insisted on presenting an image worthy of the club he played for both during and after his playing days. He was, through and through, a Yankee.
What surprised me was the fact that Joe lived such a sheltered life, never paying for anything. Bills as big as house rent and utilities to as small as a meal out were always taken care of by someone. He was more than frugal, he was cheap. This could have come from the fact that, although he was the highest paid player in baseball at one time, he never made any “real money” until Morris began representing him in his business deals.
The book also shows the moral side of Joe, he believed what was right was right and there was no wavering from that, at any time. He was a bit miffed at the way major league baseball treated him but never complained. He would never put down another player in public but he also worried about the state of the game with the showmanship and the deteriorating fielding and base running, the game moving more and more towards power hitters.
It touched on, but did not explain in detail, the fall out with his brothers and how he adored his grandchildren. How he would refuse to sign bats for anyone, for any fee, but would present as many as 50 to a friend on a special occasion. He was truly an introspective, quiet man, who presented himself to the public with class and they viewed him in awe, no matter what his private demons were. There were no scandals, no DUIs, no paternity suits surrounding him. Although he was divorced twice his true loved remained, until the day he died, Marilyn Monroe, his second wife.
Joe was idolized by so many and had the privilege to meet every President from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, dining at the White House on many occasions. He also loved his fans, the ones that adored him, and took time to talk to them when possible and sign autographs whenever he could, even to the point that he could not go out to eat or to the grocery store without someone to “run buffer” for him. A celebrity at a time when celebrities were not swarmed like he was. Everyone wanted to be near Joe D, even in the same room was good enough for most.
For any fan of Dimaggio, any fan of Dimaggio’s era of baseball, or any fan of baseball or history this is a good, insightful book, into the man and the myth. It’s not only informative but personal, as the writer had a closer personal relationship with the subject. If baseball or celebrities are not your thing you may want to pass.
Bottom line, I liked it and the 420 pages west fast.
November 28, 2022
The book is boring most of the time. The early chapters which highlight his career are interesting reading, but the rest of it is endless little stories of Joe did this, Joe did that...after a while it's the same thing over and over. You find yourself skipping to the chapter on Marilyn Monroe, and you find out a lot about the relationship, but soon find yourself mired in little uninteresting stories again. The author was a close friend of DiMaggio's but not any kind of writer. There are better bios on DiMaggio out there.
March 31, 2021
Hero worship diminishes oneself. The idea of not taking a penny while making your boyhood hero millions of dollars is called enabling. The author is a lawyer turned lapdog. A glorified gofer. Just a strange relationship. All benefitting DiMaggio.
The author is just strange. This ridiculous psychological need to serve as an unpaid "valet" for DiMaggio truly indicates all kinds of character flaws in Joe DiMaggio. The author does not realize he was used?
As far as being from Brooklyn, the author has zero street sense.
The author is just strange. This ridiculous psychological need to serve as an unpaid "valet" for DiMaggio truly indicates all kinds of character flaws in Joe DiMaggio. The author does not realize he was used?
As far as being from Brooklyn, the author has zero street sense.
March 3, 2019
there are better books about Joe DiMaggio. Engelberg has had a poor review of his relationship with DiMaggio by others. Joe was a great ball player but very lacking as a person.
November 21, 2014
I assumed that Setting the Record straight was meant to refute the charges brought by Richard Ben Cramer in his (2000) biography of Joe. It does parry most of those charges, but Engleberg is too shrewd to come out and name Cramer as the inspiration for the book. Why have your audience run and read Cramer's book too?
Engelberg's account is naturally more sympathetic than Cramer's. For instance, Cramer says that Joe was noted for having many random affairs with women, Engelberg says offhandedly that Joe had no trouble with the ladies. Cramer describes Joe's late in life autograph sessions as crass commercialism. Engelberg says that finally Joe DiMaggio was making the money that so many others had been making on his name.
It's these differences in presentation that characterizes the tone of both books. Cramer's "How dare you?" is Engelberg's "Way to go, Joe!"
A key Cramer source is Barry Halper, noted memorabilia collector and Yankee limited Partner. Cramer describes Halper's wife taking a cooking class in Europe just to cook Joe's favorite foods. To Cramer, Joe was an ingrate that didn't appreciate all the Halpers were doing for him.
Engelberg describes Halper as a leech that was always trying to make money from Joe. The essence of the relationship comes down to what happened to Joe's World Series rings that eventually Barry Halper possessed. The authors argue about whether they were stolen from Joe's hotel room or sold by Joe on the sly.
Still, Joe comes off as somewhat aloof in both books. Even Engelberg admits that Joe didn't appreciate him as much as he had wished, and even recounts his moodiness. These admissions reinforce the charge that Joe hadn't much humility, but few people lodge this complaint against Muhammed Ali.
The book centers on DiMaggio's later years when Engelberg served him as lawyer and friend, but there is still plenty of stuff about his playing career and relationship with Marilyn. The most offbeat passage is about Joe Jr. coming to live in his deceased father's house. It's not always remembered that Joe Jr. was the last known person who spoke to Marilyn Monroe on the night of her death. Junior tells Engelberg that Marilyn confessed her relationship with Bobby Kennedy and that she was going to come forward and expose them. He's certain the Kennedys were behind her murder. We've heard it before, but never from a source that close.
Engelberg says that he took no money from DiMaggio anytime in their friendship and I'd be interested in how Cramer would reconcile that with his account of Joe's later years.
Engelberg has a clear purpose in the book to clear the charges against him and to soften the image of DiMaggio painted by Cramer and it's largely successful. Helped by veteran sportswriter, Marv Schneider, the book offers smooth prose and it flows well from beginning to end. It's worth the time of any baseball fan.
Engelberg's account is naturally more sympathetic than Cramer's. For instance, Cramer says that Joe was noted for having many random affairs with women, Engelberg says offhandedly that Joe had no trouble with the ladies. Cramer describes Joe's late in life autograph sessions as crass commercialism. Engelberg says that finally Joe DiMaggio was making the money that so many others had been making on his name.
It's these differences in presentation that characterizes the tone of both books. Cramer's "How dare you?" is Engelberg's "Way to go, Joe!"
A key Cramer source is Barry Halper, noted memorabilia collector and Yankee limited Partner. Cramer describes Halper's wife taking a cooking class in Europe just to cook Joe's favorite foods. To Cramer, Joe was an ingrate that didn't appreciate all the Halpers were doing for him.
Engelberg describes Halper as a leech that was always trying to make money from Joe. The essence of the relationship comes down to what happened to Joe's World Series rings that eventually Barry Halper possessed. The authors argue about whether they were stolen from Joe's hotel room or sold by Joe on the sly.
Still, Joe comes off as somewhat aloof in both books. Even Engelberg admits that Joe didn't appreciate him as much as he had wished, and even recounts his moodiness. These admissions reinforce the charge that Joe hadn't much humility, but few people lodge this complaint against Muhammed Ali.
The book centers on DiMaggio's later years when Engelberg served him as lawyer and friend, but there is still plenty of stuff about his playing career and relationship with Marilyn. The most offbeat passage is about Joe Jr. coming to live in his deceased father's house. It's not always remembered that Joe Jr. was the last known person who spoke to Marilyn Monroe on the night of her death. Junior tells Engelberg that Marilyn confessed her relationship with Bobby Kennedy and that she was going to come forward and expose them. He's certain the Kennedys were behind her murder. We've heard it before, but never from a source that close.
Engelberg says that he took no money from DiMaggio anytime in their friendship and I'd be interested in how Cramer would reconcile that with his account of Joe's later years.
Engelberg has a clear purpose in the book to clear the charges against him and to soften the image of DiMaggio painted by Cramer and it's largely successful. Helped by veteran sportswriter, Marv Schneider, the book offers smooth prose and it flows well from beginning to end. It's worth the time of any baseball fan.
October 25, 2014
On one had, I can understand the viewpoints of other reviewers criticisms of Engelberg and this book. On the other, and more importantly, it does provide a counter point to several of the legends/myths that developed regarding DiMaggio over the years. More importantly, it provides detailed insight into the final stages of his life (1980-1999) filling in the gaps that most other DiMaggio biographies, both visual and printed, don't touch. Take it for what its worth and read it objectively; it is a good read touching on subjects such as his family, his constant demand, and his memorabilia contracts against the background of the more storied parts of his life.
September 6, 2016
i have a weakness for sports biographies.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews