DiMaggio Breaks the Unbreakable

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Joe DiMaggio hit a 3-run homer on this date in 1941 to break the record for hitting in the most consecutive games within a season. 'Joltin Joe's' streak reached 45 games, breaking the 44-game hit streak of Wee Willie Keeler set in 1897.

DiMaggio's streak captivated the nation since 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 believe is 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:
Joe DiMaggio's hit streak

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