Madfish Willie's Greatest Hitter Ever - #5 Joe Dimaggio
Awards:
• 1939: American League Most Valuable Player
• 1941: American League Most Valuable Player
• 1947: American League Most Valuable Player
• 1999: Named to All-Century Team (OF)
Joe DiMaggio is remembered as one of the game's most graceful athletes a "picture player" both at bat and in center field. Many rate his 56-consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 as the top baseball feat of all time. "The Yankee Clipper" used an unusually wide stance in winning two batting championships and three MVP awards. In 13 seasons he amassed 361 homers, averaged 118 RBI annually and compiled a .325 lifetime batting mark. At Baseball's 1969 Centennial Celebration, he was named the game's greatest living player.
Did you know... ... that in 1933, eight years before his famed 56-game hitting streak, Joe DiMaggio fashioned a 61-game hitting streak with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League?
Here are his complete career statistics.
Here are his top 15 productive seasons according to the Madfish Willie Index:
After going hitless is game #57, DiMaggio then proceeded to go on a 17 game hitting streak! That's hitting in 73 of 74 consecutive games. WOW! A virtually unbreakable record, to be sure.
Posted by: Madfish Willie on April 7, 2004 10:50 AMWell, yeah... but, did you know that during that same 56 game span -- while he didn't get a hit in every game -- Ted Williams actually had a higher batting average?
Posted by: Tuning Spork on April 9, 2004 10:24 PMI wonder what DiMaggio's BA was during the streak? I can't remember off the top of my head. I guess we go a-googling!
Posted by: Madfish Willie on April 11, 2004 11:36 AMHere it is:
During the streak Joe DiMaggio had 91 hits, 22 multi-hit games, 5 three hit games, four four hit games, a. 408 batting average that included 15 home runs and 55 runs batted in.
Posted by: Madfish Willie on April 11, 2004 11:41 AMCheck this out! Game by game stats and total stats during the streak. What was Ted Williams BA during the streak?
Posted by: Madfish Willie on April 11, 2004 12:20 PM