New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio Extends Hit Streak To 56 Games

On July 16, 1941, Hall of Famer, Martinez Native and New York Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio gets three base hits in a game against the Cleveland Indians.

The three hits extended his consecutive-games-with-a-hit streak to 56 games, a full dozen past the previous record held by "Wee" Willie Keeler.

Just one day later, in a rematch against those same Indians, the New York Yankees won, 4-3 -- but DiMaggio went 0-3 thanks to a pair of great defensive plays by Indians third baseman Ken Keltner.

The Yankees won 41 games, lost 13, and tied twice during Joe's streak, and they would later run away with the American League pennant. But the streak was over.

At 56 games, DiMaggio had carried the hit record to a seemingly insurmountable mark; to this day, it remains the most ever in Major League Baseball history. Immediately following that game, DiMaggio got a hit in 16 straight games, meaning that he hit safely in 72 of 73 games and had safely reached base in all of them.

 

A then-record nighttime crowd of 67,468 had come out to watch him extend it to 57. Had he done it, the Heinz 57 Company would have given him a $10,000 endorsement.

The “Yankee Clipper”, DiMaggio’s, 56-game streak became one of the most idolized numbers in baseball and joined Babe Ruth's home run records, and later Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, as the most hallowed records in all of sports.

Whenever any player recorded a hit streak in the mid-thirties, still twenty short of the record, that player would receive an immense amount of coverage from the media. That's how enormous DiMaggio’s record was.

DiMaggio would have had a much more storied career if it were not the case that he enlisted in the United States Air Force in February of 1943. DiMaggio was stationed at Santa Ana, California, Hawaii, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a physical education instructor. He was released on medical discharge in September 1945, due to chronic stomach ulcers.

Other than now being paid $21 a month, DiMaggio's service was as comfortable as a soldier's life could be. He spent most of his career playing for base teams and in exhibition games against fellow Major Leaguers and minor league players, and superiors gave him special privileges due to his prewar fame.

DiMaggio ate so well from an athlete-only diet that he gained 10 pounds, and while in Hawaii he and other players mostly tanned on the beach and drank. Embarrassed by his lifestyle, DiMaggio demanded combat duty in 1943, but was turned down.

DiMaggio would return to baseball in 1946 after three years in service.

However, even with time in the Air Force during the prime of his career DiMaggio ended his career as one of the most loved Yankees, as he was a nine-time World Series Champion, a three-time MVP and of course he holds the record for consecutive game hit-streak with 56 games. 

DiMaggio’s career stats are not to be looked over either; in his 13-year career he was an All-Star every year, including seven consecutive appearances from 1936-1942, and then six more consecutive appearances from 1946-1951. He finished his career with a .325 batting average, 2,214 hits, 389 doubles, 131 triples, 361 home runs, 790 walks 1,537 RBIs, 1,390 run and a .398 on base percentage.

DiMaggio led the league in batting average twice in 1939 and 1940. In 1939 he won his first MVP award. DiMaggio also led the league in home runs twice in 1937 and 1948, both times he was runner up for the MVP, in 1937 he also led the league in runs scored. In 1941 and 1948 he led the league in RBIs, in 1941 he won the second of his three MVP awards.

DiMaggio was in the top 10 in MVP voting in 10 of his 13 years of action, and in the top three six times.

In 1955 he was inducted into Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with 88.84 percent of the vote on third ballot in which he was named.

New York Yankees' Joe Pepitone Hits Two Home Runs In One Inning

On May 23, 1962, Joe Pepitone becomes the second New York Yankees player ever to hit two home runs in one inning, joining non-other than the Yankee Clipper, and Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio.

Joe Pepitone in 1971.

Pepitone is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder that played the bulk of his career for the New York Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

During his time with the Yankees, Pepitone was thrice named to play in the All-Star Game and also won three Golden Glove awards. His fame was sufficient for him to become something of a cultural icon.

In June 1973, Pepitone accepted an offer of $70,000 ($362,016 today) a year to play for the Yakult Atoms, a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. While in Japan, he hit .163 with one home run and two RBIs in 14 games played.

According to an edition of Total Baseball, Pepitone spent his days in Japan skipping games for claimed injuries only to be at night in discos, behavior that led the Japanese to adopt his name into their vernacular—as a word meaning "goof off".

Joe Pepitone (right) at Yankees stadium in New York in the late 2000s.

After baseball in the late 1970s, Pepitone played for the New Jersey Statesmen in the American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL), one of three professional softball leagues active during this period.

Pepitone would also serve the front office of the North American Softball League (NASL) for their only season in 1980.

In June 1982, Pepitone was hired as a batting coach with the Yankees, but was replaced by Lou Piniella later in the season.

In the late 1990s, Pepitone was given a job in the Yankees' front office.

He currently spends his time signing autographs and baseball memorabilia at autograph shows, and working in a public relations capacity for the Yankees.

New York Yankees' DiMaggio Hits For The Cycle

On May 21, 1948, Hall of Fame New York Yankees great, Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run).

The Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio with the Yankees in 1942.

DiMaggio, nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees.

He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands.

DiMaggio's 56-game streak became one of the most idolized numbers in baseball and joined Babe Ruth's home run records, and later Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, as the most hallowed records in all of sports. Whenever any player recorded a hit streak in the mid-thirties, still twenty short of the record, that player would receive an immense amount of coverage from the media. That's how enormous Joe's record was.

DiMaggio was a three-time MVP winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons.

During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.

At the time of his retirement, DiMaggio ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579).  DiMaggio finished his career with a lifetime batting average of .325 with 2,214 hits and 1,357 RBIs.

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees in 1941.

The New York Yankees retired DiMaggio’s number 5 jersey in 1952.

He was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 with 88.84 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared, and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969.

On Sept. 27, 1998, New York Yankee and Martinez native Joe DiMaggio makes his last public appearance at Yankee Stadium. Owner George Steinbrenner presents him with replicas of his 9 World Series rings, which had been stolen 30 years previously.

In 1999 DiMaggio was named as one of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team members.

Mickey Mantle Hits 500th Home Run

On May 14, 1967, Mickey Mantle hits career home run 500 off Baltimore Oriole's Stu Miller.

Mickey Mantle slugging a home run with the New York Yankees.

Mantle retired with 536 home runs, the third most all time behind Babe Ruth and Willie Mays at the time of his retirement, now Mantle is ranked 16, behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Frank Robinson, Mark McGwire, Harmon Killebrew, Rafael Palmiero, Reggie Jackson, Manny Ramirez and Mike Schmidt.

Mantle still holds the record for most home runs in the World Series with 18, most RBI’s with 40, most runs with 42, walks with 43, extra-base hits with 26 and total bases with 123.

Mantle also is the career leader in walk-off home runs with a combined 13, 12 in regular season and one in the post-season.

Mickey Mantle (right) with teammate Joe DiMaggio (left) in 1962.

Mantle finished his career with a .298 batting average, 2,415 hits and 1,509 RBIs to go along with his 536 home runs. Those stats helped him become a 20-time All-Star, including 18-straight from 1952-1965, including twice in 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962 when the All-Star game was played twice in a season.

He was also a seven-time World Series champion with the Yankees, including three consecutive from 1951-1953.

Mantle was a three-time American League MVP, including back-to-back in 1956-1957. The 1956 season also saw Mantle win the Triple Crown, a season in which he batted .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI’s.

He won a Golden Glove in 1962, and the Hutch Award in 1965.

The New York Yankees retired Mantle’s no. 7 jersey on June 8, 1969.

Mantle was elected into Cooperstown Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1974 with 88.2 percent of the vote, on the first ballot in which he appeared.

Mantle was named to the MLB All-Century team in 1999.

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds Sets MLB Record

On May 4, 2002, Barry Bonds hits his 400th home run as a San Francisco Giant, leading his team to a 3-0 win over Cincinnati. Bonds is the first player to hit 400 homers for one team and 100 with another (Pittsburgh Pirates). Bonds would finish his career as Major League Baseball's All-Time home run leader with 762 home runs.

Barry Bonds hitting his 400th home run as a San Francisco Giant.

 It took Bonds 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants to Break Aaron’s record of 756 home runs, which stood for 33 years. Bonds would finish his career and is still the all-time leader in MLB history for most career home runs. Part of Bonds’ success came from the fact that he is the All-Time leader with consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs, in which he has 13, from 1992-2004.

Bonds also leads the MLB in home runs in a single season with 73, career walks with 2,558 and career intentional walks with 688.

Bonds was also a seven time National League MVP. His seven MVP awards are four more than the next player. 

In the American League, former Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio earned three MVP’s. Two of DiMaggio’s teammates also earned three MVP’s, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. Current Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez also has three MVP’s.

In the National League, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial earned three MVP awards in his career. Former Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella earned three MVP’s. Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and another former Cardinal in Albert Pujols also earned three MVP awards.

On top of being on of the most decorated hitters of all time, Bonds also was an outstanding outfielder in his younger years as he racked up eight Gold Glove awards from 1990-1998. As of 2009, Bonds was the Left Fielder to win a Gold Glove in the National League.

He is also tied with his father Bobby for the most seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases with five. Bonds would continue his terror on the base paths throughout his career and managed to become the only member of the 400/400 club, hitting over 400 home runs and stealing over 400 bags. He would then further himself from the rest of baseball when he entered the 500/500 club in 2004 when he swiped his 500^th stolen base.

Bonds’ was also just a season shy from joining the elusive 3,000 hit club, as he finished his career with 2,935 hits.

Bonds’ stats indicate he should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer into Cooperstown, however, with the steroid issues and Balco perjury scandals it is unlikely that Bonds will be nominated into Cooperstown ever

Yankees Name Mattingly Captain

On Feb. 28, 1991 that first baseman Don Mattingly was named captain of the New York Yankees.  Mattingly became the thirteenth captain in Yankees’ history.

Donnie Baseball earned the honor prior to his tenth year with the team.  He began his career with the Yankees in 1982, playing for them his entire career before retiring in 1995. He stepped in to fill the roll after the position had been vacant during the previous two seasons.

New York Yankees first baseman and captain Don Mattingly.

Since Mattingly’s departure, Derek Jeter is the only member of the Yankees to serve as captain. He was awarded the position in 2003, and has served it well over the course of the past nine seasons. It appeared as though Jeter’s tenure as captain would come to an end last off-season when he became a free agent, but the Yanks were able to reach an agreement with their All-Star shortstop, signing him to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth year.

Before Mattingly was the Yankees captain 12 others preceded him including in chronological order; Clark Griffith, Kid Elberfeld, Hal Chase, Frank Chance, Roger Peckinpaugh, Babe Ruth, Everett Scott, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry.

Mattingly would have a great career on the Yankees putting up a .307 batting average, 222 home runs, 1,099 RBI’s. He would earn six consecutive All-Star appearances, win the Gold Glove at first base nine times, win the Silver Slugger Award three times. He won the 1984 American league Batting Title and was crowned the 1985 American League RBI Champion as well the 1985 American League MVP.

The Yankees retired “Donny Baseball’s” no. 23 jersey on Aug. 31 1997.

Since his retirement, Mattingly got back into baseball, wearing a uniform, but playing a new position. He began coaching with the New York Yankees from 2004-2007, then moved to the West Coast to coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008-2010. Currently Mattingly is managing the Dodgers, and entering his third season at that position. In his three plus years of managing he has accumulated a 260 wins and 225 losses, good enough for a .536 win percentage. This could potentially be Mattingly's breakout season as the Dodgers are once again touted as a World Series contender, in part to the fact the franchise has spent a lot of money on such players as Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez.

New York Yankees Dawn Pinstripes

On Feb. 27, 1912, the New York Yankees dawned pinstripes for the first time in franchise history.

The 1912 New York Yankees uniforms, which are still very similar to the uniforms the team wears today.

The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles, starting in 1923 with the first in the franchises history. The 27 titles are the most of any team in Major League Baseball.

The Yankees also are owners of a World Series record, winning four consecutive World Series titles from 1936-1939, a feat which has never been broken or tied. 

It must all be in the pinstripes.

DiMaggio Wins MVP

On Nov. 27, 1941, Martinez Native Joe DiMaggio beats Ted Williams to win the American League MVP.

Though the numbers would suggest Wiilliams might have had a superior season hitting than DiMaggio, as Williams hit for a .406 batting average, while clubbing 37 home runs and bringing in 120 RBI’s. However it was DiMaggio who had done something no man had ever done before, and has equaled to this date. While hitting for a very respectable .357 batting average with 30 home runs and bringing in 125 RBI’s, DiMaggio hit safely in 56-consecutive games.

DiMaggio would be the first and only hitter to hit safely in over 50 games, breaking the pervious record which is still held in the National League by Willie Keeler who played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Since DiMaggio hit safely in 56-consecutive games only four players have come within 20-games, and only a single player has come within 15.

In 1945 Tommy Holmes of the Boston Braves, was the first player who had a sizeable shot at catching DiMaggio’s record, as he hit in 37-consecutive games.

Over the 2005 and 2006 seasons a Bay Area native in Alameda’s Jimmy Rollins hit safely in 38-consecutive games.

In 1987 Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers hit safely in 39-consecutive games.

But no player since DiMaggio has hit in over 40-consecutive games besides Pete Rose, who hit safely in 44-consecutive games during his 1978 season with the Cincinnati Reds.

To me I think DiMaggio’s consecutive game hit-streak is one of the last of the untouchable records in baseball, with the others being Barry Bonds’ home run record for a single season and a career, along with Rickey Henderson’s stolen base record.

Berra Wins MVP

On Nov. 8, 1951, Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees picked up his first MVP award. 

Berra hit .294 that season and hit 27 home runs. Berra was an All-Star catcher 18 times, every year from 1948 through 1962. 

There were two All-Star games in 1959, 1960, and 1961, in which Berra was a selected to be a part of both.

He would also in the MVP award in 1954 and 1955.

His three MVP awards are tied second All-Time with Philadelphia Athletics great Jimmie Foxx, St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial, former New York Yankee teammate and Martinez native Joe DiMaggio, another former teammate and Yankee great Mickey Mantle, Brooklyn Dodgers catcher great Roy Campanella, former Philadelphia Phillies great Mike Schmidt, former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and current New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. 

The three MVP awards won by Berra are only behind Barry Bonds, who has seven, and won four straight from 2001 to 2004.

Berra was part of the Yankees from 1946 to 1963 as a player; in 1963 he was a player and coach for the Bronx Bombers. In 1964 he served his first term as manager for the team. 

After managing the team for one year he would jump back into coaching from 1976 to 1983. He would take his second stint as manager in 1984 through 1985. 

During his time with the Yankees, Berra helped the elder New York franchise to 13 World Championships as a player, manager and coach in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977 and 1978.

Berra would also play, coach and manager for the other New York team, the Mets. He would help the New York “Miracle” Mets to a World Series title in 1969.

Berra would have his no. 8 jersey retired by the Yankees on July 22, 1972 and would be inducted into Cooperstown Baseballs Hall of Fame in 1972, with 85.61 percent of the vote. It was the first time he was on the ballot.

Since his time from baseball, Berra has written several books including:

Yogi: It Ain't Over (1989). The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said' (1998). When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes (2001). What Time Is It? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All (2002). Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons (2003). Let's Go, Yankees! (2006). You Can Observe a Lot by Watching (2011).

DiMaggio Plays In Final Game

On Oct. 10, 1951, the New York Yankees beat the cross-town rival New York Giants four games to two in the World Series. It was also the final time that Martinez native Joe DiMaggio played Major League Baseball.

DiMaggio, nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees.

His brothers Vince and Dom also became major league center fielders with the Red Sox.

However, DiMaggio is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands to this day.

DiMaggio's 56-game streak became one of the most idolized numbers in baseball and joined Babe Ruth's home run records, and later Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, as the most hallowed records in all of sports. Whenever any player recorded a hit streak in the mid-thirties, still twenty short of the record, that player would receive an immense amount of coverage from the media. That's how enormous Joe's record was.

During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.

At the time of his retirement, DiMaggio ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579).

DiMaggio would have had a much more storied career if it were not the case that he enlisted in the United States Air Force in February of 1943. DiMaggio was stationed at Santa Ana, California, Hawaii, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a physical education instructor. He was released on medical discharge in September 1945 due to chronic stomach ulcers.

DiMaggio would return to baseball in 1946 after three years in service.

However, even with time in the Air Force during the prime of his career, DiMaggio ended his career as one of the most loved Yankees, as he was a nine-time World Series Champion, a three-time MVP and, of course, he holds the record for consecutive game hit-streak with 56 games. DiMaggio’s career stats are not to be looked over either; in his 13-year career, he was an All-Star every year, including seven consecutive appearances from 1936-1942, and then six more consecutive appearances from 1946-1951. He finished his career with a .325 batting average, 2,214 hits, 389 doubles, 131 triples, 361 home runs, 790 walks, 1,537 RBIs, 1,390 run and a .398 on base percentage.

DiMaggio led the league in batting average twice in 1939 and 1940. In 1939 he won his first MVP award. DiMaggio also led the league in home runs twice in 1937, and 1948; both times he was runner up for the MVP. In 1937 he also led the league in runs scored. In 1941 and 1948 he led the league in RBIs, in 1941 he won the second of his three MVP awards.

DiMaggio was in the top 10 in MVP voting in 10 of his 13 years of action, and in the top three six times.

The New York Yankees retired DiMaggio’s No. 5 jersey in 1952.

He was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 with 88.84 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared, and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969.

On Sept. 27, 1998, New York Yankee and Martinez native DiMaggio made his last public appearance at Yankee Stadium. Owner George Steinbrenner presented him with replicas of his nine World Series rings, which had been stolen 30 years previously.

In 1999 DiMaggio was named as one of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team members.

Bonds Hits 73

On Oct. 7, 2001, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds records home run 73 of the season against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dennis Springer.

Barry Bonds would finish the 2001 season with 73 home runs, a new major league record, breaking Mark McGwire’s record of 70 home runs that was set just a few years earlier in 1998. Bonds received the Babe Ruth award in 2001 for leading the MLB in home runs.

Bonds would never reach the plateau of 70 home runs again, but his record still stands today. The 2001 season was the fourth season in which Bonds was named the National League MVP, the first as a San Francisco Giant. The three previous MVP awards came while he was on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2001 MVP award was also the first of four consecutive MVP awards Bonds would receive while playing for the Giants as he also won the award in 2002, 2003 and 2004. No other player has won four MVP awards, let alone four consecutive MVP awards.

The 2001 season also saw Bonds draw in a few more records besides home runs, including 177 walks, and had .515 on-base percentage, a feat which had not been seen since Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams over forty years earlier. Bonds’ slugging percentage in 2001 was also a major league record, which still stands, as he hit an astounding .863.

Earlier in the 2001 season Bonds had also hit home run 500 putting him in great company, at the time only 16 other players were in the 500 home run club. Since Bonds reached the feat eight other players have reached 500 home runs.

Bonds is not yet a member of the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame but should be  in my opinion. Whether or not you believe steroids helped Bonds reach the home run feats, he was still a great player in the batters box or on defense. Bonds won an unprecedented seven MVP awards in his career, four more than the next players on the list, which include Hall of Famers, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, and Mike Schmidt. Two active players also have three MVP awards, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Anaheim Angels first baseman Albert Pujols.

Bonds also holds 17 MLB records including most walks in a season, and a career, and shares a piece of four other records including most seasons (five) with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, which tied his father Bobby. Barry and Bobby are also the only father and son duo to be in the 30-30 club.