Joseph Paul DiMaggio (born Giuseppe Paolo Di Maggio Jr; November 25, 1914 - March 8, 1999) was a Major League Baseball center fielder who played his whole career for the New York Yankees. His nicknames were Joltin' Joe and The Yankee Clipper. He played from 1936 to 1942 and then joined the army in 1943 because of World War II. He came back and began playing again in 1946 until his retirement in 1951 at the age of 36. By the time he retired he had hit 361 home runs. He hit almost one home run for every strikeout. DiMaggio died on the 8th of March, 1999, of lung cancer. He is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time. DiMaggio was also well known for his marriage and lifelong devotion to Marilyn Monroe.