Junior Rejoins

Sophomore year is a crucial test for a major-league baseballer. It proves whether or not he has been just another child prodigy, whether he will get his degree or flunk out. When Joe Di Maggio of the New York Yankees finished his sophomore year last October with 46 homeruns, 167 runs driven in, .346 batting average and a leading role in the World Series, he knew he was not going to flunk out.

Returning to his home in San Francisco for his winter vacation, Sophomore Di Maggio puffed with pride, became a little businessman, played host to admirers in his cafe on Fisherman's Wharf. When the time came round to sign a contract for his junior year, Little Businessman Di Maggio refused $25,000. He thought he was worth $40,000--not a cent less. Remembering well that Yankee Babe Ruth once got $80,000 a year from Owner Jacob Ruppert, Di Maggio held out all through the spring training season.

But when the regular season got under way last week and Owner Ruppert still refused to budge a dollar, Junior Di Maggio suddenly realized that he was not only losing $162 for every day he was missing from the Yankee line-up but was losing face with his teammates and his public as well. Anxious to have a high mark in Conduct as well as in Homeruns, 23-year-old Joe Di Maggio finally capitulated, wired Owner Ruppert his surrender.

That the World Champion Yankees (odds-on favorites to win the American League Pennant again this year) would welcome their No. 1 slugger, was demonstrated during the first week of the new season. In a four-game series with the Boston Red Sox (a pre-season 20-to-1 shot), the famed, hard-hitting Yankees had ignominiously lost three games, including a two-hit shutout. Mighty Lou Gehrig had failed to get even one piddling hit.

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