That Time Joe Dimaggio Wore Another Uniform

Many don’t know this, but after Joe DiMaggio’s iconic run with the New York Yankees, he was actually with the A’s. Crazy right?

Joe DiMaggio is, was, and always will be a New York Yankee icon. The man who so eloquently thanked “the good Lord for making me a Yankee” is etched in pinstriped legend. But wait—did you know that for a brief, colorful stint in the late 1960s, DiMaggio traded the Yankee navy for the A’s green and gold? It sounds like a baseball urban myth, but it’s true. 

In 1968, after nearly two decades out of baseball, Joltin’ Joe returned, not to the Bronx, but to the freshly relocated Oakland A’s. Yep, the man synonymous with Yankee greatness joined forces with Charlie Finley’s band of merry baseball misfits. This wasn’t a return to playing—Joe’s baseball days were long behind him—but as a coach in 1968 and a vice president through 1969, he became a surprising part of the A’s story.

Now, let’s clarify: Joe didn’t spend much time flaunting his green and gold threads on the field. He avoided the base lines like a man dodging autographs at a crowded diner, preferring to remain in the dugout. This strategy not only kept his dapper demeanor intact but also limited the number of photos documenting his allegiance swap. Clever, Joe.

A’s owner Charlie Finley, baseball’s resident maverick, wasn’t shy about making bold moves. He’d lured the A’s to Oakland from Kansas City, where they’d been perennial cellar dwellers, and he had big dreams of transforming them into contenders. Step one? Bring in a Bay Area legend like DiMaggio.

It made sense geographically—Joe lived in San Francisco, just a short drive from Oakland. It also made sense financially—Joe was two years shy of qualifying for MLB’s maximum pension allowance when he retired, and this gig got him over the line. Was he nostalgic for the Yankees? Sure. But if the Yankees weren’t going to offer him a post-retirement role, well, Joe wasn’t going to wait around polishing his championship rings.

For one season in 1968, Joe DiMaggio became a mentor to the A’s up-and-coming talent. His “kids,” as he called them, included future stars like Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, and Joe Rudi. DiMaggio didn’t just teach baseball fundamentals—he gave them the kind of advice only a legend could.

–Alvin Izzo