New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio Hitting Streak Halted at 56

For a two month span, New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio recorded a hit in every game he played in. His 56 game hitting streak, considered an unbreakable feat, came to an end on this day in 1941.

Baseball is a game of numbers, with some totals etched in our collective consciousness. .400, 61, and 714, even if they are not specifically the records for their statistical areas, still light up the baseball landscape. We can associate those players with those very numbers, giving baseball a history that is the envy of any other sport.

One of those numbers is 56, signifying New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio’s impressive hitting streak. It is a record that is expected to stand the test of time, right along with Cy Young‘s 511 career wins or Cal Ripken‘s consecutive game streak. After all, the next closest hitting streak since then was Pete Rose‘s 44 game hit streak in 1978. However, that streak was broken on this day in 1941, with the Cleveland Indians playing the role of spoilers.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

DiMaggio certainly gave it his best shot. In his first two at bats, he hit two hit hit balls to third, where Ken Keltner was playing deep. He walked in his third plate appearance, and when he came up to bat in the eighth inning against Jim Bagby Jr., had a chance to continue his run if he had dropped down a bunt with Keltner once again playing deep behind the bag. However, DiMaggio, who did not drop down a single bunt during the hitting streak, refused to do so once again. Instead, he hit into a double play, ending both the hitting streak and a Yankees rally in the process.

For DiMaggio, his inability to extend his hitting streak just one more day would prove costly. Afterwards, he revealed that he had an endorsement deal lined up with Heinz 57, where he would help promote their products. That $10,000 offer was rescinded when he failed to get a hit against Cleveland.

The end of the hitting streak was equally costly for the Indians. While ownership celebrated that they had stopped Joe DiMaggio, Cleveland fans showed that they were more interested in his hitting streak than what the Indians were doing on the field. 67,468 fans were in attendance on the day the hitting streak ended, while only 18,000 attended the game the following day.

Next: David Ortiz may be investigated for tampering

Joe DiMaggio may not have gotten that endorsement, but he still set a record that may likely stand the test of time.