slugger | USPS Stamp of Approval

We’ve had several inquiries lately about Joe DiMaggio‘s stamp in the recently issued set of Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps. Specifically, collectors and enthusiasts have addressed the depiction of DiMaggio’s swing. So, is DiMaggio’s swing correctly portrayed? The answer is yes, and here’s why:The Yankee Clipper was a right-handed batter, and he is indeed following through on his right-handed swing. However, due to the size of the stamp, you can’t see that his lower torso and legs are twisted as they would be on his follow-through. The stamp artist, Kadir Nelson, also had to slightly change the position of the bat in order to show all of it. If this had been a photograph, you would’ve been able to see that when DiMaggio followed through, his bat was extended fully away from his body and nearly parallel to the ground. (If you’d like to see what we’re describing, check out the photo in this Wall Street Journal article.)

The Major League Baseball All-Stars (Forever®) stamps, as well as many baseball-related philatelic products, are now available. Joining DiMaggio on the roster are Larry Doby, Willie Stargell, and Ted Williams.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.

Ted Williams, one of the four players who will appear on the upcoming Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps, wasn’t just a great hitter. He meticulously honed his craft—by employing a tool used at Post Offices across the United States. As author George Will reveals in his book Bunts:

“Williams used a postal scale in the clubhouse to make sure humidity had not increased the weight of his bats. An official of the Louisville Slugger company once challenged Williams to pick the one bat among six that weighed half an ounce more than the other five. He did. He once sent back to the factory a shipment of bats because he sensed that the handles were too thick. They were, by .005 of an inch.”

The Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps will be issued July 20 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. A separate ceremony for the Ted Williams stamp will take place July 21 in Boston. Want to pre-order your stamps? Visit The Postal Store!

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.