In life they called him Joltin' Joe DiMaggio. Now, four years after his death, he is still making news, as yet another author tries to decipher what made the enigmatic baseball hero tick. The book is DiMaggio: Setting the Record Straight by the centerfielder's long-time friend and lawyer, Morris Engelberg, with Marv Schneider. Publisher MBI—which stands for Motorbooks International—of St. Paul, Minn., not only hopes the book will become a bestseller, but that it will propel the house into trade publishing in a big-league way.

Readers of Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ben Cramer's biography Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life (Simon & Schuster, 2000) will remember its scathing allegation that Engelberg hijacked more than $1 million worth of products that DiMaggio had autographed. Although Engelberg initially threatened a lawsuit, this book is his only substantial retort so far.

"While it's true that Cramer was less than kind, and far less than accurate, in his portrayal of Morris Engelberg and his relationship with Joe DiMaggio, that isn't why Morris wrote the book," said MBI president and CEO Richard Freese. "The book is offered as a tribute to Morris's friend Joe DiMaggio. There is not only new information in the book about DiMaggio's feelings about Monroe, but it also corrects misinformation."

Set for publication on February 25, DiMaggio is already in its third printing, with 85,000 copies in print. "The response from booksellers has been fantastic," Freese told PW. "Interest in Joe DiMaggio remains quite strong." MBI's marketing plan includes an $85,000 promo budget and an extensive publicity tour. In an expensive promotional gimmick, MBI will conduct a store display contest in which two winning stores will each receive a baseball signed by DiMaggio and worth $600.

Known as a niche publisher of recreation books with an annual frontlist of approximately 200 books, MBI regards DiMaggio as a significant step forward in its efforts to publish crossover titles. "A large part of our double-digit sales growth in 2002 is the result of publishing enthusiast books that appeal to a broader audience," said Freese, who also credited beefed-up marketing efforts, co-op support and a new editorial office in London with enhancing MBI's prospects in world markets.