Game 50: July 11, 1941 The hottest “ticket” in baseball was Joe DiMaggio—in every major league city except St. Louis. Even the white-hot DiMaggio, with his 49-game hitting streak and American League-leading 20 homers and 73 RBI, did nothing to bring the fans out on July 11, 1941. A forecast of rain, an afternoon game […]
Archives for April 2012
Joe DiMaggio’s Streak, Game 51: Did He Get a Hit?
Game 51: July 12, 1941 Dom DiMaggio used to tell the stories of how he sometimes felt like he didn’t exist during his brother Joe’s immortal hitting streak. Most of his interviews were with media members who wanted to know what it was like growing up as Joe DiMaggio’s brother. What tips did Joe give […]
Joe DiMaggio’s Streak, Games 52 and 53: He Appears Unstoppable
Games 52 and 53: July 13, 1941 With 50,387 fans watching, Joe DiMaggio made hitting look easy in the first game of a July 13, 1941 doubleheader with the White Sox. It was the biggest crowd in six years at Comiskey Park. Team owner Charles Comiskey was known as tight with his money. Many believe […]
Joe DiMaggio’s Streak, Game 54: One Streak Continues, One Ends
Game 54: July 14, 1941 It was July 14, 1941. Thanks to the brilliant pitching of White Sox right-hander Johnny Rigney, the streak was over. No, not The Streak. The Yankees’ winning string was ended at 14 as Chicago thumped New York, 7-1. Joe DiMaggio’s infield single in the sixth ran the real streak to […]
Joe DiMaggio, Game 55: DiMaggiomania and the Two Garbos
Game 55: July 15, 1941 Actress Greta Garbo made only 27 motion pictures. The Swedish siren, like so many other movie stars—and like Joe DiMaggio in the summer of 1941—was hounded by the public, disturbed by the paparazzi wherever she went. In Grand Hotel in the 1930s, the great actress predicted her future when she […]
Joe DiMaggio, Game 56: The Streak Stands at 56, A New Record
Game 56: July 16, 1941 Cruising into Cleveland, the New York Yankees understood the importance of this three-game series. The Indians were five games back, but a good showing by the second-place club could make it a pennant race again. With the streak at 55 straight, Bob Feller loomed in the set’s finale. But first, […]
Joe DiMaggio: The Streak Dies in Ken Keltner’s Glove in Game 57
Say it’s not so, Joe: The Streak dies in Ken Keltner’s glove. Day No. 57: July 17, 1941. As of July 17, 1941—70 years ago to the day—two months had passed since the great Joe DiMaggio had gone without a hit. So commonplace had Joltin’ Joe’s consecutive-game streak become that some fans were no longer […]