Four of baseball’s most revered icons will be immortalized on Forever® stamps later this month with the issuance of the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever Stamps. The stamps honor Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees; Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians; Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates; and Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox.
First-day-of-issue dedication ceremonies will take place in five cities:
n On July 20, 10 a.m., Cooperstown, New York, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The first-day-of-issue Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps dedication ceremony for the sheet of stamps featuring all four players is taking place at the museum as part of opening day festivities for the 4-day Hall of Fame Weekend celebration in Cooperstown. Available nationwide that day, the stamps can also be purchased at the museum and at the Cooperstown Post Office.
n On July 21, first-day-of-issue dedication ceremonies for each of the individual player stamp sheets are being planned to honor DiMaggio in New York; Doby in Cleveland; Stargell in Pittsburgh; and Williams in Boston.
Postmasters are encouraged to host special stamp dedication ceremonies beginning July 20. Enclosed in this publicity kit is background information on each player, a sample media advisory, a news release, and a speech. Also included is a listing of Corporate Communications Area Managers and a Government Relations staff listing.
Poster-sized enlargements of the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps can be purchased through Maggie Kamper of Dodge Chrome at maggie@dodgechrome.com or by calling 240-247-1814.
Contact Mark Saunders at mark.r.saunders@usps.gov to obtain high-resolution images of the stamps for media use only.
Background Information on Each Player
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999), nicknamed “the Yankee Clipper,” is best known for his unmatched 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Those who saw him play also admired his skill and grace as a fielder and base runner.
The son of an immigrant fisherman, Joe DiMaggio grew up in the largely Italian North Beach area of San Francisco. He and two of his Major League–bound brothers played on the city’s sandlot baseball fields. He dropped out of high school to become a teammate of his older brother Vince on the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. DiMaggio soon attracted the attention of the New York Yankees, who gave up five players and $25,000 for him.
DiMaggio joined the Yankees in 1936. In 1939, he hit .381 to lead the league in batting and won the first of his three Most Valuable Player awards. In his first 4 years with the Yankees, the team won four straight World Series titles. He led the team to another World Series victory during the legendary 1941 season of “The Streak,” a season also remembered for the stellar .406 batting average achieved by Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox. A less well-known statistic is DiMaggio’s incredible feat that year of striking out a mere 13 times in 541 at bats.
During World War II, DiMaggio missed three full seasons while serving in the Army. When he returned in 1946, he helped the Yankees claim four more World Series titles during his six remaining seasons. His best postwar season was 1948, when he batted .320 and hit a league-leading 39 homers with 155 RBIs. During his 13-year career with the Yankees, he led them to 10 pennants and nine World Series titles and was a perennial All-Star. He became the “face of the Yankees” — as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig had been before him, and Mickey Mantle would be later.
DiMaggio was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. During baseball’s centenary celebration in 1969, he was voted the sport’s greatest living player. He died on March 8, 1999.
Larry Doby
Larry Doby (1923–2003) was the first African-American to play on an American League baseball team, joining the Cleveland Indians July 5, 1947. For integrating the league just 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League, Doby is recognized as a civil rights pioneer. Known as a man of quiet dignity and courage who endured isolation, discrimination, and countless indignities, Doby helped pave the way for racial progress in America’s national pastime.
Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina, and raised there mainly by his maternal grandmother while his mother made a living as a domestic worker in Paterson, New Jersey. He eventually joined his mother in Paterson and attended Eastside High School, where he earned 11 varsity letters in several different sports. Just before graduating, he began his professional baseball career with the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a physical training instructor during World War II, Doby returned to the Eagles in 1946. That year he helped them defeat Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro World Series championship. The following year he was batting well over .400 at midseason when Bill Veeck of the Cleveland Indians purchased his contract and brought him to the majors.
Doby’s white teammates gave him a chilly reception, and he spent most of his first season on the bench. But in 1948, Doby hit .301 for the season and helped Cleveland win the pennant. During game four of the World Series against the Boston Braves, he became the first African-American player to hit a home run in a Major League Baseball World Series, which Cleveland won.
The next year Doby was elected to the American League All-Star team, which he made for each of the next 6 years. In 1950, Sporting News named him the best center fielder in baseball, ahead of Joe DiMaggio. Doby led the league in home runs and runs scored in 1952. Two years later, he again led the league in home runs, helping the Indians reach the World Series. In 1955, Doby set an American League record for an outfielder of 164 consecutive errorless games.
When his playing days were over, Doby coached for the Montreal Expos, the Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. In 1978, he was hired as manager of the White Sox, making him the second African-American to manage a Major League Baseball team.
Doby was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. He died of cancer June 18, 2003, in Montclair, New Jersery.
Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell (1940–2001) is perhaps best remembered for powering the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series title. Standing 6-foot 2-inches and weighing some 225 pounds late in his career, Stargell twice led the National League in home runs (48 in 1971 and 44 in 1973), and was famous for smashing baseballs out of stadiums. At one point, he held the record for hitting the longest homers in half the National League ballparks. The left-handed slugger wound up his career with 475 home runs.
Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. During his teens, he lived in a housing project in Alameda, California, where he began playing organized baseball. In the late 1950s, he overcame racial intimidation while playing on some of the Pirates’ minor league farm teams in the South. Called up to the majors in 1962, he played 21 seasons, all for Pittsburgh.
During the 1970s, the Pirates won six of 10 divisional titles. After Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash in 1972, Stargell became the team leader. He handed out “Stargell Stars” to teammates for outstanding play and promoted team harmony, showing special talent for bridging gaps between white, black, and Latino players. Nicknamed “Pops,” he instigated the adoption of the Sister Sledge disco hit “We Are Family” as the unofficial anthem for the ’79 Pirates team. That season he tied for National League Most Valuable Player, then garnered MVP honors in both the National League Championship Series and the Pirates’ upset win over the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
Stargell received many honors after his playing days ended. In 1983, he was asked to recite the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., in a performance at Carnegie Hall by the Eastman Philharmonia. In 1988, in his first year of eligibility, the seven-time National League All-Star was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, earning the respect and admiration of his peers. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan remembered, “When I played, there were 600 baseball players and 599 of them loved Willie Stargell. He’s the only guy I could have said that about.”
Stargell coached for the Pirates in the 1980s and returned in 1997 as an assistant to Pittsburgh’s general manager, a position he held until his death in 2001. The Pirates built a 12-foot tall statue of Stargell outside the new PNC baseball park, which opened for a new season the day he died.
Ted Williams
Regarded as one of the all-time greatest hitters in Major League Baseball history, Ted Williams (1918–2002) of the Boston Red Sox was the last Major League player to bat over .400 for a single season, in 1941. He hit .344 over a 19-year career, including 521 home runs.
Born and raised in San Diego, California, Williams hit .583 for the city’s Hoover High during his junior year. While still in high school, he signed to play for the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League. After one season, at age 19 he signed with the Red Sox. At the team’s minor-league training camp, Rogers Hornsby taught Williams to study pitchers and to swing only at pitches in the strike zone, an approach that helped him win a Triple Crown with the Minneapolis Millers in 1938.
In 1939, his rookie year at Boston, the slender 6-foot-3 Williams, nicknamed “the Kid,” led the American League with 145 RBIs. In the remarkable 1941 season, which included Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak, Williams refused his manager’s offer to sit out a season-ending double-header to protect his .400 average, instead cracking six hits to finish at .406. The following year Williams won the American League Triple Crown with a .356 batting average, 36 home runs, and 137 RBIs.
During World War II, while in the prime of his career, Williams enlisted in the Navy and began a flight training program after the 1942 season. He earned his wings as a second lieutenant in the Marines and became a flight instructor. He missed three full seasons of baseball during the war. He also missed most of two seasons in 1952 and 1953 while flying combat missions during the Korean War.
Despite the interruptions to his career, Williams managed to win six American League batting titles and four home-run titles, even though Boston’s Fenway Park was difficult for left-handed power hitters like Williams. He also was voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player twice. In 1947, his second season after returning from World War II, he won his second Triple Crown. In 1957, at age 39, he hit .388 and became the oldest player in the history of the majors to win a batting championship; he then led the league in batting again the next year at age 40. He even batted a more than respectable .316 his final season, in 1960, at age 42.
Williams was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. In 1969, he became manager of the Washington Senators and was named American League Manager of the Year. After 4 years, he retired from managing and moved to Florida to pursue a lifelong passion for fishing.
In his autobiography My Turn at Bat, Williams said that everyone has to have a goal, and his from the outset was to have people say, “There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.”
Williams died in Florida July 5, 2002, at age 83.
Sample Media Advisory
Feel free to contact your area Corporate Communications manager for assistance in distributing to media outlets a few days prior to your event.
Sample Media Advisory
Contact: [NAME]
XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXXXXXXX@usps.gov
www.usps.com/news
[NAME] Post Office Dedicates Forever Stamps Honoring
Four of Baseball’s Greatest
WHAT: Special dedication ceremony of the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps. The event is free and open to the public.
WHEN: [TIME, DATE]
WHERE: [LOCATION]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE ZIP]
WHO: [DEDICATING OFFICIALS AND TITLES]
BACKGROUND: With the issuance of the Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes the accomplishments of four baseball greats: Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell and Ted Williams. Each of these Hall of Famers was a perennial All-Star selection and each left an indelible impression on the game.
Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999) led the New York Yankees to ten pennants and nine World Series titles. Many consider him the greatest all-around player of his time.
Larry Doby (1923–2003) was the first African American to play in the American League, joining the Cleveland Indians shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. He faced prejudice with dignity and courage.
Willie Stargell (1940–2001) powered the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, a multicultural team known as “The Family,” to a World Series title. He is also remembered for promoting harmony between players from different backgrounds.
Ted Williams (1918–2002) of the Boston Red Sox was the last Major League player to bat over .400 for a single season (1941). During his stellar career, he won six American League batting titles and four home run titles. Today, “the Kid” is regarded as one of the all-time greatest hitters in Major League Baseball history.
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, USPS.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance out of the posts of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, by Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on Twitter @USPS_PR and at facebook.com/usps
Sample News Release
Feel free to contact your area Corporate Communications manager for assistance in distributing the news release once the event takes place.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [NAME]
DATE U.S. Postal Service
XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXXXXXXX@usps.gov
www.usps.com/news
NAME POST OFFICE HONORS Four Baseball Legends
Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell and Ted Williams
Honored on Forever Stamps
To obtain a high-resolution image of the stamps for media use only, email mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.
[CITY, STATE] — Four of Major League Baseball’s most revered Hall of Famers returned to a stamping ovation today in the form of postage where they were immortalized on the 45-cent First-Class Mail Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps.
A special stamp dedication ceremony took place at the [LOCATION]. The stamps commemorate the accomplishments of Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees, Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians, Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox.
The Major League Baseball All-Star stamps can be purchased at the [NAME] Post Office or by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724). In addition to the stamps, collectible products can be purchased at www.usps.com/play-ball.
“Some of America’s favorite pastimes come together with these stamps,” said U.S. Postal Service [TITLE, NAME]. “Writing letters, collecting stamps and, of course, playing and watching baseball are all important elements of our nation’s culture and history. We are honored to be able to commemorate four of baseball’s most important players. Fans of these Hall of Famers and their teams will enjoy rooting for them once again by using and collecting these cool stamps.”
[INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ONLY IF APPLICABLE]
Joining [NAME] in dedicating the stamps [WAS/WERE] [TITLE(S), NAME(S)].
[INSERT OTHER PARTICIPANT QUOTE HERE]
The stamps were designed by artist-illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles and are based on historic photographs. Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Virginia, served as art director.
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Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999) was admired for his skill and grace as a fielder and base runner. The “Yankee Clipper” is best known for his incredible 56-game hitting streak in 1941 — the season of “the Streak.” DiMaggio led the New York Yankees to 10 pennants and nine World Series titles.
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Larry Doby
Larry Doby (1923–2003) was the first African American to play in the American League, joining the Cleveland Indians shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. The seven-time All-Star excelled as a hitter and center fielder and set an American League outfielder record for 164 consecutive errorless games.
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Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell (1940–2001) powered the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series title. Hitting 475 home runs during his career, the seven-time National League All-Star is famous for smashing baseballs out of stadiums.
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Ted Williams
Ted Williams (1918–2002) of the Boston Red Sox served during World War II and the Korean War. The last Major League player to bat over .400 for a single season, in 1941, Williams won six American League batting titles and four home run titles. Despite the breaks in his career, Williams hit .344 over 19 years, including 521 home runs.
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Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.
Other 2012 Stamps
Customers may view the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps as well as many of this year’s other stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter@USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for the backstory on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.
The following stamps and philatelic products are available at www.usps.com/play-ball/:
Sheets of 20 Stamps
n Major League Baseball All-Stars (Item #469600), $9.
n Joe DiMaggio (Item #577800), $9.
n Larry Doby (Item #577900), $9.
n Willie Stargell (Item #578000), $9.
n Ted Williams (Item #578100), $9.
Uncut Press Sheets (14.5" W x 19" H — artwork suitable for framing)
Four different pristine, without perforations or die-cuts, press sheets will be available (6 stamp panes
per sheet), $54:
n 2,500 sheets of each individual player: DiMaggio (Item #577884), Doby (Item #577984), Stargell
(Item #578084) and Williams (Item #578184).
Play Ball! Great Moments in Major League Baseball History
n 40-page softbound book with 16 stamps (including previously issued baseball stamps), $24.95
(Item #469672).
Ceremony Program
n Random stamp featuring the Cooperstown, New York, first-day-of-issue postmark, $6.95 (Item #469691).
First-Day-of-Issue (FDOI) Postmarks
First-day-of-issue black pictorial postmarks and digital color postmarks will be available for New York City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston and Cooperstown, New York.
First-Day Covers (Black Pictorial Postmarks)
n Set of 4 covers with Cooperstown, New York, postmark (July 20, 2012), $3.56 (Item #469663).
n Set of 8; 4 covers with Cooperstown postmark/4 covers from other cities, $7.12 (Item #469669).
n Individual player covers with New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Boston postmark (July 21, 2012), 89 cents each: DiMaggio (Item #577861), Doby (Item #577961), Stargell (Item #578061) and Williams (Item #578161).
Digital Color Postmark First-Day Covers
n Set of 4 covers with Cooperstown, New York, postmark (July 20, 2012), $6.40 (Item #469668).
n Set of 8: 4 covers with Cooperstown postmark/4 covers from other cities, $12.80 (Item #469679).
n Individual player covers with New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Boston postmark (July 21, 2012), $1.60 each: DiMaggio (Item #577865), Doby (Item #577965), Stargell (Item #578065) and Williams (Item #578165).
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With nearly 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, USPS.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance out of the posts of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute. Follow the Postal Service on Twitter @USPS_PR and at facebook.com/usps
Sample Speech
“Major League Baseball All-Stars Stamps”
Remarks for Local Dedication
Non–All-Star Venue
Thank you, [NAME], for that kind introduction. And thank you all for joining us for today’s event.
I also want to thank all of our special guests for joining us in beautiful [CITY/TOWN/LOCATION/TYPE OF SETTING].
In particular, I’m glad that our good friend [NAME OF ELECTED OFFICIAL] is here, along with [ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED].
I’m pleased to be here representing the United States Postal Service to honor some of baseball’s greatest players.
Baseball and the history of the United States are intertwined. A great part of what makes baseball so fascinating to so many of its fans is how much today’s game is played in the context of its past.
[Insert, if appropriate, a local reference.]
EXAMPLE: Here in Kansas City, George Brett, the Hall of Famer who played for the Royals with skill and grace for 21 seasons, has constantly been compared to the great hitters of the past — including Ted Williams, one of the players we honor today.
[If no local reference, use the following:]
n Every time a player of today fashions a 15- or 20-game hitting streak, fans and the media recall Joe DiMaggio’s incredible 56-game record.
n San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain threw a perfect game last month — an outstanding accomplishment in itself. But his achievement takes on even more significance when you realize it’s only the 22nd time that’s happened in the history of Major League baseball.
Just days ago, the Postal Service, represented by our postmaster general, held a special ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York — where the game’s past meets its present.
There, the U.S. Postal Service officially unveiled the four stamps we’re sharing with you today.
In a way, the Postal Service’s commemorative stamps are our own version of the Hall of Fame. We’ve been honoring baseball with our commemoratives since 1939.
Including the stamps we’re unveiling today, USPS has celebrated baseball with more than 50 stamps.
n Among the Hall of Famers the Postal Service has saluted over the years are Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Roger Maris, Walter Johnson, Roberto Clemente, and Jackie Robinson.
n We’ve issued stamps commemorating ten of the sport’s legendary stadiums. They include the old Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Forbes Field — three of the four stadiums the legends we honor today called their home fields.
n Two years ago, the Postal Service honored the role of African Americans in the growth of baseball with its Negro Leagues Baseball stamps. The stamps feature Rube Foster, who established the first successful league of African-American teams.
n And in 2008 — 100 years after “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was composed — USPS issued a commemorative stamp honoring the sport’s unofficial anthem.
Today, we’re pleased to once again honor baseball with the issuance of our new stamps commemorating Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell, and Ted Williams.
We are certain that these stamps will bring back good memories to those who saw these players during their careers; we believe they also will spread the fame of to those who never saw them play.
Most of all, we hope our new stamps will help perpetuate the American values these men so magnificently personified.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be with you today.
Corporate Communications Managers
Following are contacts for each area to request Corporate Communications assistance in publicizing events:
Capital Metro
George Maffett
e-mail: george.t.maffett@usps.gov
Telephone: 301-548-1465
Eastern
Paul Smith
e-mail: paul.f.smith@usps.gov
Telephone: 215-863-5055
Great Lakes
Victor Dubina
e-mail: victor.dubina@usps.gov
Telephone: 216-443-4596
Pacific
Don Smeraldi
e-mail: don.a.smeraldi@usps.gov
Telephone: 858-674-3149
Northeast
Maureen Marion
e-mail: maureen.p.marion@usps.gov
Telephone: 860-285-7029
Southwest
Earl Artis
e-mail: earl.c.artis@usps.gov
Telephone: 214-819-8704
Western
Teresa Rudkin
e-mail: teresa.rudkin@usps.gov
Telephone: 303-313-5130
Government Relations Contacts
Postmasters wishing to invite elected members of Congress to their event should contact their Government Relations Representative at 202-268-xxxx.
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, 7-12-12
