Five interesting facts from Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak
On July 17, 1941, the greatest hitting streak in Major League Baseball history came to an end. After collecting at least one basehit in a record-setting 56 consecutive games, Joe DiMaggio finished 0-for-3 with a walk in a Yankees 4-3 win against the Cleveland Indians.
The end of DiMaggio’s streak was unceremonious. In his last at-bat, DiMaggio grounded into a double play, which he’d only done twice during the streak. We’ll never know what might have happened had he not walked during the fourth inning of that game, but DiMaggio was never about extending the streak anyway. He was about getting on base and helping the team.
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Needless to say, he helped them immensely before, during and after the historic two-month run that defines his legacy. In fact, you might be floored to learn just how productive DiMaggio was, specifically while his hitting streak was alive. That’s why we’ve picked out five facts that we think will illustrate that or simply amaze you.
The Yankees went 41-13-2 during DiMaggio’s streak
You read that correctly. Two games finished in a tie. On May 23, the Yankees played the Red Sox to a 9-9, nine-inning tie when the game was called due to darkness. Six days later, a Yankees-Senators game in Washington was called after five innings and ruled a 2-2 tie. Both games were eventually played over, but the stats counted.
As wild as the ties are though, New York’s 41 victories in 56 games are even crazier. The whole team caught fire along with DiMaggio, winning 14 in a row at one point late in the streak. New York would go on to finish 101-53, winning the American League by a comfortable 17 games. They defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers four games to one in the World Series, securing the ninth of their now 27 championships.
DiMaggio had 35 one-hit games and several close calls
DiMaggio’s streak wasn’t without its share of drama, though most of his close calls came early in the streak. Overall, DiMaggio had 35 one-hit games during the 56, and in 13 of them the lone hit came in the seventh inning or later.
The closest call came on May 30, when DiMaggio singled in the ninth inning against Boston’s Earl Johnson. He extended it five times in the seventh inning and seven times in the eighth inning.
He only struck out five times
Consistent contact is key to maintaining a hitting streak. It absolutely fueled DiMaggio’s historic streak, as he constantly put the ball in play and pressured the defense to get him out. DiMaggio’s first strikeout didn’t come until his 61st plate appearance during the streak and he did not strikeout a single time in the last 149 plate appearances. He would ultimately go 197 plate appearances between strikeouts.
DiMaggio finished the streak with 56 singles and 56 runs scored
If you like symmetry, then you’ll love those stats. DiMaggio also finished with 55 RBIs, so it was nearly a four-of-a-kind. Overall, DiMaggio slashed .408/.463/.717 during the streak, with 15 home runs and 20 additional extra-base hits.
DiMaggio immediately started another 16-game hitting streak
Had DiMaggio extended the streak against Cleveland, we might be talking about a 73-game hitting streak. As it is, his on-base streak, which started one day before the hitting streak, reached 74. If it’s possible, DiMaggio got even warmer during the sequel. He hit .426/.506/.838 with five homers and 18 RBIs.
There’s a reason he was the runaway MVP that season.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
