Baseball Records: Will DiMaggio’s Ever Fall?

I recently purchased the Elias Book of Baseball Records and starting thumbing through it.  I was completely amazed at how many different records there were.  Basically anything you can think of, there is a record for that.

So I thought it might be fun to highlight a different record every week and look at that record and whether or not it will ever be broken.

The first record I chose to discuss is one of the most intriguing in the game of baseball; Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak.

It was the year 1941 and “Joltin’ Joe” collected at least 1 hit or more in 56 consecutive games while playing for the New York Yankees.  The hitting streak started on May 15 and lasted until July 16; that’s just over 2 months of baseball while collecting a hit in every game…….truly fascinating.

The closest player in the recent decades to even come remotely close was Jimmy Rollinsof the Philadelphia Phillies.  Rollins, over the end of the 2005 season and start of the 2006 season went 38 straight games with a hit and still fell 18 games short.  Chase Utley, also of the Phillies went 35 consecutive games with a hit to sit tied for 11th on the all time list.  Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers hit safely in 39 straight games in 1987, good enough for 7th all time.  The legendary Pete Roseis 3rd on the list after he collected a hit in 44 consecutive games during the 1978 season.  Willie Keeler is 2nd, going all the way back to 1897 when he reached 45 straight games, again over the course of 2 seasons.  Keeler was then playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

So what makes this streak so impressive?  You look at the recent players to get just over half way; Rollins, Utley, Luis Castillo (35 games in 2002), Nomar Garciappara (30 games in 1997 with Boston), to name just a few, and they did just that; only get a little past half way to DiMaggio’s 56 games.  Now a days, 56 games represents just over one third of the entire season and the “Yankee Clipper” hit safely in everyone.

Will it ever be broken? I have to say no.  Today’s game is much different than it was in 1941 from a technology standpoint.  And what I mean is that players have the ability to scout any player, any pitcher they choose with endless video available.  If a player is getting hot and starting to hit in consecutive games, the opposing pitchers will be watching countless videos on how to get him out.  Does he tend to chase low and away, or go after the high heat.  Does he swing at first pitch fastballs?  Just look at the shift that David Ortiz has to try and negotiate when he’s at bat.  All because pitchers and ball clubs have the ability to monitor all players more consistently in today’s game. 

The other factor that I think will play in DiMaggio’s record to never be broken is the media.  When a player gets to around that 30th consecutive game with a hit, the media picks up on it and is all over that player until he ultimately goes 0 for during a game and the streak is over.  The media is relentless for stuff like this and the amount of pressure that the media imposes on a player is immense.  Every day that a player continues the streak means more radio shows, more tv camera’s, more reporters all wanting to talk about “the streak.”  At what point does it start to wear on a player to the point it affects his performance on the field?  I’m thinking around that 35 game mark, based on recent history.

I welcome your comments on this.  Records after all, were made to be broken, but I don’t think this is one of them.

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