# 4697a - 2012 First-Class Forever Stamp - Imperforate Major League Baseball All-Stars: Joe DiMaggio

US #4697a
2012 Joe DiMaggio – Major League Baseball All-Stars (Imperforate)

• One of four stamps commemorating MLB Hall of Famers and the impact they’ve had on baseball

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Major League Baseball All-Stars
Value:  45¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  July 21, 2012
First Day City:  New York, New York
Quantity Issued:  20,000,000 (Includes die-cut AND imperforate stamps. The exact quantity of imperforate stamps is unknown, but it is only a tiny fraction of the total print quantity, making the imperforates much scarcer than traditional die-cut stamps.)
Printed by:  Avery Dennison (AVR)
Printing Method:  Photogravure
Format:  Panes of 20
Perforations:  Die Cut 11
Tagging:  Phosphored, Type II

Why the stamp was issued:  To celebrate MLB great Joe DiMaggio.

About the stamp designs:  Pictures artwork of Joe DiMaggio by painter and illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles, California. He based the stamp art on historic photographs of the four players.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in New York, New York, Joe DiMaggio’s hometown.

About the Major League Baseball All-Stars set:  Issued as reminders of great moments in the history of America’s pastime. Each stamp pictures a different famous baseball player: Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell, and Joe DiMaggio. Artwork by painter and illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles, California. He based the stamp art on historic photographs of the four players.

The First Day of Issue Ceremony for the se-ten was held in Cooperstown, New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. There were additional First Day of Issue Ceremonies the following day in each of the pictured players’s hometowns: Boston, Massachusetts (Ted Williams); Cleveland, Ohio (Larry Doby); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Willie Stargell); and New York, New York (Joe DiMaggio).

History the stamp represents:  Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), centerfielder for the New York Yankees, was known for his grace on and off the baseball field. In the outfield, he chased down long fly balls with an effortless stride that earned him the nickname, “The Yankee Clipper.” But that grace was matched with strength – his other nickname was “Joltin’ Joe.” In just 13 seasons (he lost three to war-time service), he hit 361 home runs.

DiMaggio became a cultural symbol. As America struggled with its identity during the 1960s, one popular song lamented, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? The nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” Glamour accompanied legend, as he twice married a Hollywood actress: first Dorothy Arnold, and later Marilyn Monroe. For 20 years after Monroe’s death, DiMaggio sent roses to Monroe’s grave up to three times a week.

As a player, DiMaggio was perhaps best known for hitting in 56 straight games in 1941, a feat no one has come close to matching. In game 57, he was twice robbed of hits by outstanding plays by Cleveland third-baseman Ken Keltner. In the dugout after the game, DiMaggio reacted in his typical calm manner. “Well, that’s over,” was all he said. The next day he started a new 17-game streak.