Joe DiMaggio’s most famous achievement is his MLB record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in 1941….as the streak began on May 15, 1941….which was a couple of weeks before the death of Yankees teammate Lou Gehrig. Major newspapers began to write about DiMaggio’s streak early on, but as he got closer to George Sisler’s modern era record of 41 games….it became a national phenomenon….when initially, DiMaggio showed little interest in breaking Sisler’s record….saying “I’m not thinking a whole lot about it… I’ll either break it or I won’t.”….but as he approached Sisler’s record…..Joltin Joe showed more interest after saying….“At the start I didn’t think much about it… but naturally I’d like to get the record since I am this close.”….and on June 29, 1941….DiMaggio doubled in the first game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium to tie Sisler’s record….then singled in the nightcap to extend his streak to 42.
A Yankee Stadium crowd of 52,832 fans watched DiMaggio tie the all-time hitting streak record of 44 games by Wee Willie Keeler in 1897 on July 1. …while setting the record of 45 games on the next day against the Boston Red Sox….when he homered into Yankee Stadium’s left field stands to extend his streak to 45….and DiMaggio continued hitting after breaking Keeler’s record while reaching 50 straight games on July 11 against the St. Louis Browns….then on July 17 at Cleveland Stadium, DiMaggio’s streak was finally snapped at 56 games. DiMaggio batted .408 during the streak with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. The day after the streak ended, DiMaggio started another streak that lasted 16 games…..thus making the distinction of hitting safely in 72 of 73 games is also a record. The closest anyone has come to equaling DiMaggio since 1941 is Pete Rose….who hit safely in 44 straight games in 1978. The Yankees’ record during the streak was 41–13–2.
Some consider DiMaggio’s streak a uniquely outstanding and unbreakable record and a statistical near impossibility…..but regardless if it is or not….we at ImaSportsphile are happy to have this video treasure that depicts Joe DiMaggio’s record in our library.
