Memories of An American Hero
March 13, 2017
Unassuming Manhattan podiatrist Rock Positano considers his close friendship with baseball icon Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999), which lasted through the Yankee’s last decade. Positano notes that the relationship started with his treatment of DiMaggio’s damaged right heel, an injury that benched him for 65 games in 1949 and forced his retirement two years later. He falls short of hero worship as he sums up the tale of “the Yankee Clipper,” the son of a San Francisco fisherman, who became one of the greatest players in baseball. There’s never any doubt about the doctor’s admiration for DiMaggio as a man of honor, who spoke frankly to his pal about people such as Lou Gehrig, Joe Louis, Mickey Mantle, Frank Sinatra, and the Kennedys, Hollywood, as well as topics such as women and faith. The narrative provides wonderful glimpses of DiMaggio’s integrity, kindness, and sensitivity, portraying him as a complicated man who jealously guarded his image.