July 1, 1941 | NEW YORK, NEW YORK – New York Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio got hits in his 43rd and 44th consecutive games on this date in 1941. This tied him with Wee Willie Keeler who held the 44 consecutive game hit streak since 1897.
To add to the DiMaggio drama, some think he got a little help from the official scorer in his first hit in game one of a doubleheader that day. It was a grounder fielded by Boston Red Sox third baseman Jim Tabor who made a poor throw to first. Official scorer Dan Daniel of the New York World Telegram ruled it a hit. DiMaggio ended up getting a solid hit to center later in the game, which, according to Associated Press sportswriter Gayle Talbot, brought a “tremendous cheer from the crowd.”
Many thought Wee Willie Keeler’s 44-game record would never be broken, and it may not have been if Joe DiMaggio hadn’t come along. “Joltin Joe” set a new record of 56 consecutive games with at least one hit a couple weeks later, and he remains the only player to hit in more than 44 consecutive games.
This note: When Wee Willie Keeler set his record in 1897 foul balls were not counted as strikes. Contributing source:
Associated Press (AP), Gayle Talbot, July 2, 1941
Tag: Wee Willie Keeler
JULY 17 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – DIMAGGIO’S HIT STREAK ENDS
JULY 17, 1941 | CLEVELAND, OHIO – Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak ends in Cleveland, and 56 becomes an iconic number in the world of sports. “Joltin Joe” got at least one hit in 56 consecutive games – until this night in 1941.
The streak captivated the nation for weeks. A record-breaking 67,468 fans came to Cleveland Municipal Stadium on a Thursday night to watch the Yankee slugger try to extend his streak,
The streak started quietly at Comiskey Park in Chicago on May 15th. Interest intensified as DiMaggio reached 30 consecutive games with at least one hit. It grew into an obsession when DiMaggio surpassed Wee Willie Keeler‘s 45 game hit streak record on July 2nd and kept on going. Now DiMaggio was setting a new record every game.
It was stopped at the hands of two relatively unknown Cleveland pitchers, left-hander Al Smith and right-hander Jim Bagby. All-star third baseman Ken Keltner made two dazzling plays to rob DiMaggio of hits.
DiMaggio didn’t just break Keeler’s record, he smashed it by 11 games. Had 56 not been where DiMaggio’s hit streak ends, we could very well be talking about a 73-game hitting streak. After going hitless on July 17th, DiMaggio went on hitting in 16 more consecutive games.
How remarkable is DiMaggio’s display of hitting consistency? To this day no one has surpassed Wee Willie Keeler’s mark of 45 consecutive games with at least one hit – except Joe DiMaggio.
Top 10 Consecutive game hit leaders and year accomplished:
Joe DiMaggio 56 (1941)
Wee Willie Keeler 45 (1897)
Pete Rose 44 (1978)
Bill Dahlen 42 (1894)
George Sisler 41 (1922)
Ty Cobb 40 (1911)
Paul Molitor 39 (1987)
Jimmy Rollins 38 (2006)
Tommy Holmes 37 (1945)
Gene DeMontreville 36 (1897)
Contributing sources:
The Associated Press, July 18, 1941
Longest Hitting Streaks
July 2 in baseball history – DiMaggio breaks unbreakable
JULY 2, 1941 | NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Joe DiMaggio hit a 3-run homer on this date in 1941 to break the record for the most consecutive games with at least one hit. ‘Joltin Joe’s’ streak reached 45 games, breaking the 44-game hit streak of Wee Willie Keeler set in 1897.n at least hitting in the most consecutive games within a season.
DiMaggio’s streak captivated the nation once it reached 30 games. It was an exciting and positive distraction to the daily headlines of the Nazi’s overrunning Europe that summer. DiMaggio would eventually hit in what many believed was an insurmountable 56 straight games. No one since has even surpassed Keeler’s mark of 44 games, though Pete Rose tied it in 1978, let alone come close to challenging DiMaggio’s.
DiMaggio’s streak wasn’t without controversy. The official scorer for more than twenty of those games was New York World Telegram sportswriter Dan Daniels, who some believe gave DiMaggio favorable rulings on balls that may have been errors when a streak wasn’t on the line.
Consecutive game hit leaders:
Joe DiMaggio 56
Wee Willie Keeler 44
Pete Rose 44
Bill Dahlen 42
George Sisler 41
Ty Cobb 40
Paul Molitor 39
Jimmy Rollins 38
Tommy Holmes 37
Fred Clarke 35
Ty Cobb 35
Luis Castillo 35
Chase Utley 35
• Joe’s brother Dom DiMaggio had a 34 game hitting streak of his own for the Boston Red Sox in 1949.
Contributing sources:
Fun facts about Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak