Joe DiMaggio loved the 24-acre park at Three Harbor Islands Boulevard.
The baseball legend spent a lot of his time there and it was one of his favorite places, said Morris Engelberg, his attorney and close friend.
Today, the city of Hollywood will rename the property Joe DiMaggio Park, at a 5 p.m. dedication ceremony which is open to the public.
There will be entertainment and activities for children, high school bands performing, and free snacks and refreshments.
The park had originally been named Yankee Clipper Park after DiMaggio’s nickname on the field. His family requested that it be named Joe DiMaggio Park instead.
This is the first time since his death that the baseball star’s family has approved of a dedication in his name. Despite his fame, DiMaggio, who died of lung cancer on March 8 at his Hollywood home, was intensely private and protective of his name. A proposal to rename Presidential Circle as Joe DiMaggio Circle last month was rejected by his family and attorneys.
Engelberg, who said DiMaggio had approved of the park being named in his honor, will be at the ceremony along with two of DiMaggio’s granddaughters.
Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti, who will also be at the dedication, said DiMaggio was not only a great athlete, but a great humanitarian.
“It is fitting that the city name a park that will be a gathering place for children, in honor of someone who dedicated much of his life to advocating affordable health care on their behalf,” Giulianti said.
