Question

The great Joe DiMaggio suffers from …. affliction.

• A. A broken leg
• B. Arthritis
• C. A bone spur
• D. Tuberculosis

Answer 1

Answer:

C. A bone spur

Joe DiMaggio and the Affliction of Bone Spurs

• Who was Joe DiMaggio? Joe DiMaggio, famously known as 'Joltin' Joe' or 'The Yankee Clipper', was an iconic American professional baseball center fielder. He played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
• Historical Context: DiMaggio played during a significant period in American baseball, from 1936 to 1951, excluding three years when he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
• Bone Spur Affliction: A bone spur, also known as an osteophyte, is a bony projection that develops along the edges of bones. These often form where bones meet each other (joints) or where ligaments and tendons attach to bones. While some bone spurs cause no symptoms, others can cause pain, stiffness, and limit movement, especially when they press on nerves or other soft tissues.
• Impact on DiMaggio's Career: DiMaggio suffered from various physical ailments throughout his career, and bone spurs, particularly in his heel, were a recurring issue that caused him significant pain and affected his legendary agility and powerful swing. These injuries sometimes led to missed games or reduced performance.
• DiMaggio's Most Famous Feat (for competitive exams): His most celebrated achievement is his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, which remains an unbroken MLB record. This feat is often cited as one of the most unbreakable records in sports.
• DiMaggio in English Literature and Prose: Joe DiMaggio holds a significant place in literature, most notably as an idol for Santiago, the protagonist in Ernest Hemingway's acclaimed novel, The Old Man and the Sea (1952).
• Literary Significance in The Old Man and the Sea:
  • Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman, often thinks of DiMaggio as a symbol of strength, endurance, and past greatness.
  • DiMaggio's own struggle with a bone spur, specifically in his heel, is mentioned in the novel. Santiago identifies with DiMaggio's pain and perseverance, seeing it as a reflection of his own struggles against age and the mighty marlin.
  • This reference elevates DiMaggio beyond just a baseball player, transforming him into a literary symbol of human resilience, courage, and the battle against declining physical ability.
  • Hemingway himself was a great admirer of DiMaggio and used his image to add depth and relatability to Santiago's character and his heroic struggle.
• Awards and Recognition (Competitive Exam Note): Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, largely citing his mastery of narrative, exemplified in this work.
• Personal Life (General Knowledge): DiMaggio was also famously married to Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, though their marriage was brief.