Baseball 3000 Hits Club

"Is it possible that playing with the Yankees inflates our opinions of certain greats of the past?" It's certainly possible. Then again, the fact that so many people hate the Yankees may also cause them to be more critical of their players, though this probably applies more to recent players than to ones from decades ago. It'll always be hard to judge the careers of players like DiMaggio, who lost what could have been huge seasons to the war.

As a certified Yankee hater, I think that, yes, people inflate the greatness of some past Yankees...but not DiMaggio. Three-time MVP, an all-star in every single season in which he played, lifetime .325 average. He was the cornerstone of a team that won four World Series in a row. His own peers (other MLB players) considered him to be the greatest player alive for many years. So many Yankees are overrated because they wore the same jersey as a few legitimate, unquestionable all-time greats: DiMaggio, Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle. It's when you listen to Yankee fans start talking about Andy Pettitte like he's Sandy Koufax that things go off the rails.

Only 154 games back then, but I agree, he would've easily surpassed it.