The American Spectator : DiMaggio: 56 at 70

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DiMaggio: 56 at 70

By Aaron Goldstein on 5.11.11 @ 6:07AM

Here's a record steroids won't break.

Last Saturday night, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier was unable to collect a base hit against New York Mets pitching. Prior to that game, Ethier had compiled a 30-game hitting streak. Had Ethier managed to get a hit he would have tied the Dodgers club record set in 1969 by Willie Davis.

Unfortunately, thirty has been something of an insurmountable obstacle when it comes to hitting streaks. Since 2006, Willy Taveras, Moises Alou, and Ryan Zimmerman have all been unable to extend their hitting streaks beyond 30 games.

Every time a hitting streak is snapped, whether it be for 30 games, 15 games, or 3 games, it makes Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 look all the more remarkable. It was seventy years ago this month that the Yankees' centerfielder began his odyssey. May 15, 1941 would have been an otherwise forgettable day in New York Yankees lore. That afternoon the Chicago White Sox crushed them by a score of 13-1, handing them their fifth consecutive loss. During the course of this drubbing, DiMaggio managed to stroke a single off Chisox southpaw Eddie Smith. And then the hits just kept on coming.

For more than two months, game after game, DiMaggio kept hitting. On July 17, 1941, the streak had reached an unfathomable 56 games. More than two weeks earlier, the Yankee Clipper had eclipsed the previous Major League Baseball record 44-game hitting streak set by "Wee" Willie Keeler in 1897 for the Baltimore Orioles. It seemed like nothing could stop Joltin' Joe. But all good things must come to an end. On that evening in July in Cleveland, DiMaggio hit two hard line drives but both were stopped by the glove of Indians third baseman Ken Keltner. The streak was over.

Now when my father first told me about DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak he made a point of telling me that the H.J. Heinz Company had offered him $10,000 if his streak reached 57 games. Given that Heinz was as famous for its "57 varieties" as it was for its ketchup, why wouldn't they capitalize on such an opportunity? But for his part, DiMaggio said the offer was only talk.

Talk or not, DiMaggio picked up right where he left off and hit safely in 16 straight games. Had DiMaggio collected a base hit in the 57th game, his hitting streak would have reached an astounding 73 games. At the time, Major League Baseball had a 154 game schedule. DiMaggio's hitting streak exceeded a third of the season and reached nearly half a season. It should come as little surprise that DiMaggio won his second of three American League Most Valuable Player awards that season despite the fact that Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit .406. But DiMaggio's streak sparked the Yankees. During the latter part of the streak, between June 7 and July 17, the Yankees won 29 of 34 games. They went on to 101 games in 1941, finishing 17 games ahead of the Red Sox, and then beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in five games to win the World Series.

In the seven decades that have elapsed, no player has come close to matching DiMaggio, although not for lack of trying. In 1978, Pete Rose hit safely in 44 games, tying Keeler's NL record. Then in1987, Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers had a 39-game hitting streak. I remember the night Molitor's streak ended because he was interviewed by Ted Koppel on Nightline. Molitor was kneeling inside the on-deck circle when his teammate Rick Manning got the game-winning hit against the Cleveland Indians. It might have been the only time in baseball history a player got booed by the hometown crowd for getting a game-winning hit.

In more recent years, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had a 38-game hitting streak. Well, sort of. Rollins ended the 2005 season by hitting safely in his final 36 games and then had hits in his first two games of the 2006 season. Sorry folks. In my book, Rollins' streak doesn't count. A hitting streak is strictly a single-season record. You can't pass DiMaggio by getting hits in 55 straight games in season and in two games the next with a six month interval in between.

Now I realize MLB would like a record to be broken that's not linked to steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. And perhaps it isn't fair that a player start a hitting streak during the last week of August. But having someone eclipse DiMaggio over the course of two seasons instead of one would only serve to diminish the meaning and significance of Joltin' Joe's achievement. It is worth noting that during the 2006 season, Rollins' double-play partner Chase Utley would enjoy a 35-game hitting streak. That would match what another NL second baseman Luis Castillo achieved in 2002 when he was a member of the Florida Marlins.

Will anyone ever hit safely in 57 consecutive games or more? It's not likely. Yet one can never entirely discount the possibility. That someone could be out there as we speak and it is only a matter of time before he shows himself. As of this writing, Boston Red Sox centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has extended his hitting streak to 19 games. Could he be that someone? He certainly has the speed to leg out infield hits. Then again it's probably too early to even think about it. He's scarcely a third of the way to DiMaggio. But he is more than half way to Dominic DiMaggio. The Yankee Clipper's younger brother still holds the Red Sox team record with a 34-game hitting streak set back in 1949. So perhaps Ellsbury should take this one DiMaggio at a time.

About the Author

Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (49) | Leave a comment

Wayne | 5.11.11 @ 7:16AM

The steroids ruined the home run records and with and I can no longer stand to watch the game.

Richard Baker| 5.11.11 @ 7:39AM

" So perhaps Ellsbury should take this one DiMaggio at a time." Great line, that.

cuban pete| 5.11.11 @ 8:24AM

Upon returning from entertaining the troops,Marilyn Monroe told her husband," You have never heard such cheering." To which Joe responeded,"Yes,I have".
Great article about a great player.
Thanks

Larry| 5.11.11 @ 8:36AM

Di Maggio was such a class act in every way. Quite the opposite of what participates in all professional sports today.

Steve A| 5.11.11 @ 8:46AM

DiMaggio's record has a shot at being broken. If you want to talk about Baseball records that have no shot at being broken, you would have to look at Cy Young win & complete game totals & Nolan Ryan lifetime strikeout total. No shot at eclipsing those. Game has changed too much on the pitching end.

cuban pete| 5.11.11 @ 8:56AM

511 will never be equaled.

Tim G| 5.12.11 @ 11:10AM

I don't think any pitcher will ever top Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA record, set in 1968.

Lisa| 5.19.11 @ 10:36PM

Walter Johnson's 120 1-hitters. That is not human.

JP| 5.11.11 @ 8:48AM

And as MLB begins to expand instant replay to almost all facets of the game, we should put astriks on any new records deliniating before after replay.

But, I shouldn't complain. I stopped watching MLB about 5 years ago. Let's face it, the game is ruined.

Mike| 5.11.11 @ 11:50AM

Since 1994 I haven't watch an entire game. Almost sorry for that because of the Red Sox world series wins, but 1994 turned me off to pro baseball!!

Steve A| 5.11.11 @ 9:10AM

JP, I know how you feel but you should give it another shot. The juicers are gone. Wait for a Phillies game & watch Roy Halladay work.

Bob K.| 5.11.11 @ 9:25AM

It will be broken long before Walter Johnson's record of 110 shutouts is broken, not to mention Grover Alexander's 92. Official scorers aren't much help with that statistic.

Mark MacInnis| 5.11.11 @ 9:30AM

Ahhhhhh. Ya gotta love baseball.

I think I'll go dust off my copy of Field of Dreams and watch it tonight....

PCC| 5.11.11 @ 8:49PM

Or 'The Natural'. Or 'Pride of the Yankees'.

old white guy| 5.11.11 @ 9:52AM

it's alot of fun to watch the younger kids play. in fact maybe more than watching the pros.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 12:19PM

Little League, High school and even college show the pure game. Frankly, watch college womens softball sometime. Those ladies play for keeps.

JimH| 5.11.11 @ 1:09PM

Unfortunately not with those metal bats. Doink?

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 1:22PM

Agreed.

The Bishop| 5.11.11 @ 11:34AM

I love these articles that cause us to reminisce about that days when baseball was really baseball.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 11:42AM

Happily we return to last weeks discussion of the greatest player ever. Embarrasingly we had forgotten to mention Joe. Glad to see "the streak" remembered.

As to the greatest, was there ever one who won say the triple crown and gold glove the same season? Certainly a lot of players make the top ten (maybe more than ten, tied for tops) and even with baseball's quntitative measurments they are just about co-equal. The debate is part of what makes baseball the best game.

Aaron Goldstein| 5.11.11 @ 12:02PM

To answer your question about the Triple Crown and a Gold Glove, the answer is yes. When Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown in 1967 (the last MLB player to do so) he also won a Gold Glove for his outfield defense. Keep in mind that MLB only began disseminating Gold Glove in 1957.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 12:39PM

Sure puts him in the running. Maybe the debate is over best player of each decade. Hard to come up with of all time as balls, bats, mounds etc. have changed over the years.

Steve A| 5.11.11 @ 1:15PM

Al, No offense to you or Joe, but he would be on the bench in the all time best outfield category. If life dependeded on 7 game series. Starting Outfield: Ted Williams, Willie, Mickey.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 1:26PM

Put Yogi behind the plate. Look at his World Series stats. Don't know that I'd put Mantle in the field, very bad knees, too slow- of course there was that bat. How good would he be today with the training regimen and surgery? Who's pitching?

donserge| 5.11.11 @ 5:33PM

Mantle slow? He was clocked at 3.1 seconds from home to first.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 6:05PM

Before he blew out his knees. Injury takes nothing from- in fact it adds to- his accomplishments.

Brings back the question, do we use each player at his best or at some sort of career average?

PCC| 5.11.11 @ 8:53PM

Joe D, Willie Mays, Ted Williams in the outfield, Mantle at first?

donserge| 5.11.11 @ 8:57PM

Mantle did not "blow out his knees". He had osteomylitis (sp.)

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 9:18PM

He tore up his knee in a freak accident in the field with Dimaggio there. Mantle stepped on a sprinkler head in the grass and damaged his knee or tendons. He was never the same after that. If he later developed osteo (no risk shortcut) it would explain why he wrpped his legs in foam and ace bandages in order to stand. I'm not trying to take anything away from Mantle. In fact that he played as he did so crippled is even more amazing. Since NY is now American League, how about DH?

cuban pete| 5.11.11 @ 2:22PM

Jack Morris would be my pitcher in the seventh game. He had a nasty attitude and was a fierce competitor.
I say that as a White Sox fan.

Bob K.| 5.11.11 @ 5:28PM

No way you can keep DiMaggio out of this outfield! He could flat out hit! Probably had more natural hitting talent than the other 3.

skip| 5.11.11 @ 5:33PM

I agree Ted, Willie, and Mickey each better. I think Joe's best stat is career strikeouts, until his last season he had more home runs than strikeouts, finishing with 361 and 369 respectively. This is more impressive to me than his hit streak.

Having watched or listened to almost every game Jack pitched for the olde english Ds, I would rather have Mickey Lolich for a game seven.

Occam's Tool| 5.11.11 @ 5:35PM

Dear Steve:

Ted couldn't field. Again, how about Tris Speaker?

Bob K.| 5.11.11 @ 6:18PM

Sure he could field! He played the wall better than any other left fielder that the Red Sox had.

Bob K.| 5.11.11 @ 6:23PM

And I also saw him play Left Field in Griffith Stadium in Wash DC a few times which was 380' or so down the line and he could play it there too even though he was 40 years old. In fact, I also saw Yogi Berra play Left Field there too. And although he could play it, he wasn't as good as Williams was and didn't cover as much ground.

Lisa| 5.19.11 @ 10:40PM

Ted Williams, by his own admission, was a passable fielder. He would be the one riding the pine.

Steve A| 5.11.11 @ 2:23PM

Al, Mickey in his prime ran like an NFL tailback. Look it up. Love Yogi but Bench is the man. Maybe Ivan Rodriguez. Schmidt at third; Maybe Cal at short, Joe Morgan at Second, Bambino at first. If you give them a day with their best stuff, there are about 10-20 who do not get hit but I take Nolan at his best & you can turn the light off & go to bed, its all over but the crying.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 3:23PM

If we pick each player at his prime or best season, then I'm with you. Using a sort of career average play (not statistical) we might come up with some others. What a great game and wonderful history.

Steve A| 5.11.11 @ 2:27PM

Cuban, Jack Morris was a warrior on the hill for sure. Loved to watch him. He was a killer & you flat out just did not F with him.

J.C.Eaton| 5.11.11 @ 11:05PM

One game? For my life? --Bob Gibson!

RCV| 5.11.11 @ 4:55PM

DiMaggio was a joy to watch play. But I'll tell you this: Andre Ethier has one of the best swings in the majors today. It's beautiful to watch.

Al Adab| 5.11.11 @ 5:22PM

RCV,
Nice to see you on the lighter side. When it comes to baseball, even we find common ground. I too have seen Ethier and he does play the game. A few years from now some of these young players will be the names we- or our successors- banter about. How about your Game 7 players?

RCV| 5.11.11 @ 9:41PM

Not only does Ethier have the sweetest swing in the game today, but he can throw a strike from right field almost as accurately as my childhood hero, Carl Furillo.

donserge| 5.11.11 @ 5:27PM

The 56 game hitting streak AND the .406 average will be extremely difficult to surpass. To paraphrase Ted Williams....The advent of the slider (and I might add, the cut fastball) will make the .406 average almost impossible to beat.

Bob K.| 5.12.11 @ 12:07AM

Both these pitches have been around for a long time. Johnson threw a slider only it was called a "nickle curve" then. The cut fastball was a pitch used by pitchers near the ends of their careers when they lost the edge off their fast ball or bite off their slider.

Someone will hit .400 again but he will have to be a disciplined hitter who doesn't strike out much and who takes walks when he doesn't get his pitch. That was the main difference between Williams and DiMaggio. Neither struck out much at all but DiMaggio never had the patience to wait for walks when he didn't get his pitch.