Joe DiMaggio's Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award

Very few athletes reach the level of fame and recognition as Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio. One of the most recognizable icons of the mid-20th century, the Yankee Clipper is regarded among America's most enduring intergenerational heroes. This award — the Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award — is an embodiment of all he achieved during his life and his career. Presented to DiMaggio at the 2nd Annual Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards on July 12, 1993, it is one of only four ever awarded. Joe DiMaggio was the second recipient of this prestigious honor; he was preceded by Muhammad Ali, while Henry “Hank” Aaron and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar followed him.

Arguably the greatest baseball player to have ever played the game, DiMaggio is perhaps most famous for his incredible hitting streak of 56 consecutive games. Only three other players — Pete Rose (44 games), Paul Molitor (39) and Jimmy Rollins (38) — have even gotten within three weeks of DiMaggio’s 56 games since he set the record in 1941. DiMaggio also holds the second-longest hitting streak in minor league history, having hit in 61 straight games in 1933 as a member of the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals.

A cultural icon of America's favorite pastime, DiMaggio led the Yankees to nine World Series wins during his 13-year career, which spanned from 1936 to 1951. The son of Sicilian immigrants, he embodied the American Dream and earned his place as the American League’s Most Valuable Player three times over. He cemented his status as a lasting pop idol when he married America's favorite glamor girl, Marilyn Monroe, in 1954, and became the face of Mr. Coffee in the mid-1970s.

This award comes with its letter of authenticity signed by Paula DiMaggio Hamra and Kathie DiMaggio Stein, the grandchildren of Joe DiMaggio. 

Presented in 1993

7 1/4" wide x 6 1/2" deep x 11 1/2" high