56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports by Kennedy Kostya

Author:Kennedy, Kostya [Kennedy, Kostya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Time Inc. Home Entertainment
Published: 2011-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

The View From Here

The Way Of All Streaks

Nine players in major league history have run off hitting streaks of more than 35 games in a season. Four of them—the Boston Braves’ Tommy Holmes in 1945; the Reds’ Pete Rose in ’78; the Brewers’ Paul Molitor in ’87 and the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins in 2005—have done it in the 70 years since DiMaggio set his mark. Rollins, who hit in 36 consecutive games to end the ’05 season then added two more at the start of ’06, broke into the majors in 2000. For years he abided by an annual springtime ritual in which he would tell his younger brother Antwon: “This is the season I’m going to break Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak.” I asked Rollins recently why he set his sights on that particular outsized achievement—why didn’t he vow to hit .400, say? Or steal 100 bases? Or get 250 hits? Or score 150 runs? Rollins replied, “Because people say that those things can be done. Why not go for the Golden Grail?”

DiMaggio’s record retains a deep resonance for ballplayers today in part because of its remarkable endurance and also because any time that anyone gets on a hitting streak of even moderate length, DiMaggio’s name and the enormousness of the accomplishment come up. As Mets third baseman David Wright put it, “How big of a deal is DiMaggio’s streak? Ryan Zimmerman got halfway there [in May of 2009] and it was on the front page of every sports section and led every sports highlight show. He was halfway. Halfway! Think about that.”

Mention DiMaggio’s streak in a modern baseball locker room and a look of reverence often passes over players’ faces. It’s a bit like saying “Harding’s ascent” to a group of rock climbers at Yosemite, or “Escoffier’s soufflé” among young chefs at a culinary institute. There is something sacred to it, and something surreal. “Pfffft, that’s one of those Bugs Bunny numbers,” Ken Griffey Jr. said to me, shaking his head. “People do that in cartoons, not in real life.”1

“It is huge and it is humbling,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said of DiMaggio’s streak. “Get a hit for two straight months? It’s hard to get a hit for two straight days.”

But really, is it that hard? Couldn’t it be done by a player today? In its simplest breakdown, all that a batter needs to do is go 1 for 4 or even 1 for 5 each day. DiMaggio’s feat feels tantalizingly attainable, unlike some of the old and now hard to fathom pitching accomplishments such as Cy Young’s 511 career wins, or Jack Chesbro’s 41 victories in 1904. In the past 35 years only the retired knuckleballer Phil Niekro has even started 41 games in a season, but today’s hitters have essentially the same opportunities and same limitations in pursuing a consecutive-games hitting streak that DiMaggio had in 1941, that George Sisler had in ’22, that Rose had in ’78. “Same game, same challenge,” said Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand.

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