Righty or Lefty?: Joe DiMaggio Stamp Mystery Solved

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.