Vince DiMaggio, the Oldest Brother, Dies at 74

Vince DiMaggio, of the famous baseball family, died Friday at his home in North Hollywood. DiMaggio, 74, had been suffering from cancer of the colon.

DiMaggio, whose brothers Joe, 71, and Dom, 69, had long careers with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, respectively, played for 10 seasons in the National League. He was an outfielder for the Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants before his retirement in 1946.

DiMaggio also played five seasons in the minors, including two with the Hollywood Stars.

Although he never was quite as big a star as his younger brothers, DiMaggio did make the 1943 and 1944 All-Star teams. He also set two notable records that stood for some time. In 1945, he hit four grand slams, a record that lasted 10 seasons. He also set a record for strikeouts in a season, 136, that lasted more than 20 years.

The latter record was probably more characteristic of his career. While he did hit home runs--125 altogether, and 19 or more in three seasons--Vince DiMaggio was better known as a strong-armed fielder who struck out a lot. He led the league in strikeouts 6 of his 10 seasons.

After his baseball career ended, DiMaggio was a salesman in a variety of fields.

DiMaggio is survived by his wife, Madeline; two children; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Vince and Madeline DiMaggio were married for almost 54 years.

Joe DiMaggio, a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, lives in San Francisco. Dominic lives in Boston.