But when he did play . . .

Joe DiMaggio had an interesting Opening Day record while with the New York Yankees.

DiMaggio was on the Yankees roster from 1936-1951. He only played on Opening Day in seven of those 16 years, but when he did play, he was magnificent.

Here's the Yankee Clipper's for all Opening Day games . . . 

1936 Ankle injury kept him out of action until May 3
1937 Tonsillectomy kept him on the bench until April 30
1938 Salary dispute kept him out of action until April 30
1939 vs. Boston Red Sox, 1-for-2 with two walks
1940 Right knee injury kept him benched until May 7
1941 @ Washington Senators, 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI
1942 @ Washington Senators, 1-for-5  with an RBI
1943 Military service
1944 Military service
1945 Military service
1946 @ Philadelphia A's, 1-for-4, home run, two RBIs
1947 Left heel operation sidelined him until April 19
1948 @ Washington Senators 2-for-4 with a double and a walk
1949 Right heel spur benched him until June 28
1950 @ Boston Red Sox, 3-for-6 with a double, triple and RBI
1951 vs. Boston Red Sox, 1-for-4 with an RBI.

When he did play on Opening Day, DiMaggio had a .379 batting average, 54 points higher than his career mark.