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When I was a kid, I couldn't get enough of baseball numbers.

714 was THE record.
No wait, 56 was the magic number.
No wait, 60, then 61.
Or is it 2,130?

As baseball fans, those numbers do not have to be explained.
We know
Now?
Well, now those numbers are still indelibly etched in our minds, but they don't have the same meaning.

Babe Ruth's career mark of 714 was passed by Hank Aaron. This was ok. Aaron did it fair and square.
I even know, off hand, that his total is 755.
But then steroids came knocking. Barry Bonds hit over 500 home runs PAST THE AGE OF 30
Nobody does that. At least without help.
I don't know how many homers Bonds hit. Don't care.
Bonds was the best damn player to ever take steroids. No doubt.
But what Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, etc did to home run records served to make records once hallowed, hollow.

My favorite player that I never saw was Lou Gehrig. You know that question, ' If you could have dinner with five people living or dead for one night, who would they be'?
Gehrig would be first on my list.
A man's man. Willing to let others have the glory while he just wanted to play the game he so loved.
Gehrig played 2,130 games out of love.
He played a week's worth because of the streak. The rest, sheer passion and love.
And he would have played 1,000 more, if not for his 'tough break'.
Cal Ripken topped Gehrig's record fair and square.
Even doing it as a modern player. THAT, that is a major accomplishment.
Ripken deserves every accolade he receives.
Still, the number of games played consecutively does not come as quick as Gehrig's 2,130.

So, then there was one.
56.
It seems every year a player will hit in 25 games in a row. And that number is brought to our attention once again.
Not because the player with a 25 game hitting streak is getting close or has any shot at breaking the record.
More so, it is a courtesy to the streak itself.
The hitting streak is not like Cy Young's 511 Wins.
It is a record that CAN be broken.
Afterall, DiMaggio did it. And he did it in age where hitting was not king.
DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial owned the 40's. There were others who contributed or played half of the decade. but mostly because of the war, 1940's hitting numbers were touch and go.

DiMaggio had the perfect attitude for a streak such as this. Hardly ever showing outward emotion, he still had a drive, an engine inside. He didn't think that he was the best. He KNEW he was the best.
Yankee fans boo'd him more than any other Yankee legend.
Although Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and latter day Yankees would all ask and get more money, DiMaggio DEMANDED the money.
Even at a young age.
In this way, he may hve been a little ahead of his own time.

The year before 'The Streak', DiMaggio was in a slump. He was down about it and not talking much.
His wife (not Marilyn) at the time thought and told Joe that she knew what was wrong.
DiMaggio smirked.
Expecting nothing, He said, "Ok, little lady, tell me what I'm doing wrong."
His wife explained that she sits in the same seats everyday at Yankee Stadium. Behind third place, a little to the third base side.
And last year, I could see that your number was '5'. This year, I can't see the '5' very well"
And DiMaggio knew right away what he was doing wrong and went on to have a great year.

I'm writing this because I just checked out the book '56' from the library.
I hope it's as good as it looks and has new stories (for me) and old stories already heard like the conversation with his wife.
For me, 56 is the one number that has stood the test of time.
Generations of ballplayers.
It has withstood the onslaught of steroids.
The record is open to any hitter.
Power hitters, judys, spray hitters, even average hitters.
Anybody can do it.
But only one has.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
I'm writing this because I just checked out the book '56' from the library.
I hope it's as good as it looks and has new stories (for me) and old stories already heard like the conversation with his wife.
For me, 56 is the one number that has stood the test of time.
Generations of ballplayers.
It has withstood the onslaught of steroids.
The record is open to any hitter.
Power hitters, judys, spray hitters, even average hitters.
Anybody can do it.
But only one has.

Like most Americans, I made a New Years resolution that I haven't kept.
I promised myself that I would read more.
You know, actual books, not just 500 word internet articles or magazines.
So far, other than one paperback mystery novel, I've failed.

But Baseball
Yes, this is were I need to go.

I think I'll start on my resolution again, but I'll start with what I like.
I'll start with Baseball.
Biographies,
Historical,
Fiction

That's were I'll start, see how that goes and then maybe expand my horizons

I hope you enjoy 56. I'll put it on my list.

Maybe I'll go to the library today.
Oh who I'm I kidding, we have FAAB tonight.
Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

Navel Lint wrote:

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
I'm writing this because I just checked out the book '56' from the library.
I hope it's as good as it looks and has new stories (for me) and old stories already heard like the conversation with his wife.
For me, 56 is the one number that has stood the test of time.
Generations of ballplayers.
It has withstood the onslaught of steroids.
The record is open to any hitter.
Power hitters, judys, spray hitters, even average hitters.
Anybody can do it.
But only one has.

Like most Americans, I made a New Years resolution that I haven't kept.
I promised myself that I would read more.
You know, actual books, not just 500 word internet articles or magazines.
So far, other than one paperback mystery novel, I've failed.

But Baseball
Yes, this is were I need to go.

I think I'll start on my resolution again, but I'll start with what I like.
I'll start with Baseball.
Biographies,
Historical,
Fiction

That's were I'll start, see how that goes and then maybe expand my horizons

I hope you enjoy 56. I'll put it on my list.

Maybe I'll go to the library today.
Oh who I'm I kidding, we have FAAB tonight.
Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

Dan, I hope you are enjoying 56.

I got a chance to get over to the library and picked up A Moment In Time



I'll post back again next week with a comment about the book.

Navel Lint wrote:

Navel Lint wrote:

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
I'm writing this because I just checked out the book '56' from the library.
I hope it's as good as it looks and has new stories (for me) and old stories already heard like the conversation with his wife.
For me, 56 is the one number that has stood the test of time.
Generations of ballplayers.
It has withstood the onslaught of steroids.
The record is open to any hitter.
Power hitters, judys, spray hitters, even average hitters.
Anybody can do it.
But only one has.

Like most Americans, I made a New Years resolution that I haven't kept.
I promised myself that I would read more.
You know, actual books, not just 500 word internet articles or magazines.
So far, other than one paperback mystery novel, I've failed.

But Baseball
Yes, this is were I need to go.

I think I'll start on my resolution again, but I'll start with what I like.
I'll start with Baseball.
Biographies,
Historical,
Fiction

That's were I'll start, see how that goes and then maybe expand my horizons

I hope you enjoy 56. I'll put it on my list.

Maybe I'll go to the library today.
Oh who I'm I kidding, we have FAAB tonight.
Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

Dan, I hope you are enjoying 56.

I got a chance to get over to the library and picked up A Moment In Time



I'll post back again next week with a comment about the book.

I've read it!
I can't to see if you have the same reaction that I did about Branca after that book.

So last week I had a chance to read A Moment in Time, Ralph Branca's autobiography. Before I tell you what I thought of the book, I want to tell you what I knew about Branca before reading the book.

Obviously I knew about the home run he gave up to Bobby Thompson.
It's one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history. It was the "shot heard round the world".

https://youtu.be/lrI7dVj90zs ( Thompson's HR )

I knew that Branca was a decent pitcher, but I really wasn't fully aware of his stats.

I knew that I once saw Branca at a card show, probably at 'The National'; but I have never tried to get autographs at these shows so it wasn't like I talked to him or got a picture, I just knew he was there.

I also knew that I respected Branca for the way he lived with giving up the HR. He was called a "goat". But he never seemed to shy away from what happened and he seemed to embrace it to a certain extent.

And so now I have read his book......

I have to be honest, my previously limited opinion of him has changed, mostly for the worst.

The majority of the book is a prelude to The Moment in Time. We learn about Branca's family, his childhood, where and how he grew up. This leads to his early baseball career and his signing with the Dodgers.
Branca goes through the first few seasons of his career. He discusses the signing of Jackie Robinson and the courtship of his future wife all before getting to the 1951 season.
He then goes through the last half of the '51 season in detail before getting to "The Pitch" as he refers to it.
Branca finishes the book with a post-script about his life in and out of baseball after the Thompson HR.

I had a couple of major take-a way's from the book.

The first and overall theme seemed to be that when things went poorly for Branca, it wasn't his fault.
When he didn't get enough playing time or starts early in his career, it was because he was in the coaches dog-house for things that he said or did, not because of poor pitching.
When he does acknowledge that he didn't pitch well, it was always because he was injured. Even then he blamed the medical staff or team trainers for not properly diagnosing the injury or providing proper treatment.

Conversely, when things went well, it was because of Branca's God-given talent or through hard work.
When Ralph went 21-12 in 1947, it was because he believed he was the best.

One of the major chapters in the book was Branca's relationship with Jackie Robinson.
The way Ralph tells it, he was one of, in not the biggest supporter of Jackie Robinson. I have no reason to doubt the way he frames their relationship, both during their careers and after as they both aged. Branca was a pallbearer at Robinson's funeral.
Interestingly, history has sort of placed Pee Wee Reese as the main supporter of Robinson.
There is a photo of Robinson and Reese with Pee Wee's arm around Jackie. The photo eventually became the inspiration for a statue of the two men. That photo has stood as a symbol of one man standing up to hate and bigotry in defense of a teammate.


Branca, in a slightly round-about way suggests that the photo wasn't too much more than publicity shot. While he does acknowledge Reese's eventual friendship with Robinson, Branca doesn't paint Reese out to be the hero of racial equality the same way that history does.

Of course, everything in the book leads up to "The Pitch".

We get a very detailed telling of the last few months of the '51 season.
Branca tells of how the Dodgers lost their 10+ game lead to the Giants and how the two teams had tied at seasons end. He goes through the first two games of the three game playoff, and then the final game. Everything seems to be in great detail, then he gets to the at-bat of Thompson.
Then, just like Thompson's laser line-drive of a HR into the lower deck of the Polo Grounds, his telling of it is over in a flash. One fastball down the middle for strike one, next fastball lined out for a HR.
That's it.

But, that's not it.
Branca tells of all the ridicule he took after giving up the HR.
He tells of injuries and trying to pitch in the years to follow.
He tells of moving from team to team trying to stay in baseball.

And then comes the moment that he's been waiting his whole life to tell.
The Giants cheated!

Two years after The Pitch, he is told that the Giants used an elaborate system using telescopes and buzzers to inform the batter what pitch was coming.
That's how the Giants won 37 of their last 40-something games.
That's how they caught the Dodgers in the standings.
That's how Bobby Thompson "attacked" his fastball and hit the game-winning HR. It wasn't Ralph's fault, the Giants cheated.

So Ralph knows about the cheating, but doesn't want to look like a sore loser, so he doesn't ever go public with the story for the next 50 years.
I wish the story ends here, but it doesn't
A reporter writes about the supposed cheating and "breaks" the story. It's at that point that Branca starts to go public.

I don't know how much validity the cheating story has, but now Branca is banking everything on it.
The HR wasn't his fault.
The Giants, and Bobby Thompson cheated. At least that's the way Ralph Branca sees it.

I liked Branca much more when I knew much less.

Oh good, it's not just me.
I came away from reading that book almost wishing I had never read it.
NOTHING was Ralph Branca's fault.
He was the only human being that knew full well how good Ralph Branca was as a pitcher.
Branca comes away from the book as a man who is grumpy that things did not go perfectly in his life.
In not going perfectly, it was never his fault.
The Giants cheated.
He was mis-managed.
He was hurt.
He was misunderstood.
The trouble being that I understood him a lot more after reading this book.
I didn't like the person he wrote about, much at all.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Oh good, it's not just me.
I came away from reading that book almost wishing I had never read it.
NOTHING was Ralph Branca's fault.
He was the only human being that knew full well how good Ralph Branca was as a pitcher.
Branca comes away from the book as a man who is grumpy that things did not go perfectly in his life.
In not going perfectly, it was never his fault.
The Giants cheated.
He was mis-managed.
He was hurt.
He was misunderstood.
The trouble being that I understood him a lot more after reading this book.
I didn't like the person he wrote about, much at all.

No, it wasn't just you.
I'm not totally surprised at what Branca wrote about the pitch. I've heard the stories before about the cheating and I wouldn't necessarily expect Ralph to write a book just to claim, 'Yeah, I'm a bum and I gave up the worst HR in history'; but Branca came off as having no humility at all. As you say, NOTHING was his fault.

So now I need a new book, I'll be going back to the library tomorrow. If you have any suggestions, I'll take them, otherwise I'll post again at some point with the new title.

I am halfway through '56'. It takes me weeks to get through a book during summer.
I can't read while baseball is being played. So, I am mostly limited to early mornings or late nights.
Renewing the book two or three times.
Wholeheartedly, I would reccommend this book. It intertwines DiMaggio's streak with pre-war United States as Hitler is bombing every european country.
It delves into DiMaggio and his introverted personality.
One of my favorite lines was from Toots Shor, the famous New York restauranteur. He was used to catering to New York celebs from the Babe to Humphrey Bogart to Mantle.
Of DiMaggio, he said, "The only thing worse than somebody interrupting his dinner, was NOBODY interrupting his dinner."
Also included are perspectives of DiMaggio through other eyes. The most interesting being Phil Rizzuto. A rookie, driven to tears by being benched. Rizzuto genuinely feels lucky just to be close to DiMaggio and watches him constantly from the bench, hoping an iota of DiMaggio rubs off on him.
Lou Gehrig's death and the Billy Conn-Joe Louis fight also took place during the streak.
This book is full of nuggets.
It has been one of my most enjoyable reads of any baseball book.

I haven't read the Ralph Branca book, but if you guys want to read another book about the Thomson home run I recommend "The Echoing Green" by Joshua Prager. Lots of bio stuff on Branca and Thomson, but it has pretty good info on the alleged sign stealing system the Giants used at the Polo Grounds.

whale4evr wrote:I haven't read the Ralph Branca book, but if you guys want to read another book about the Thomson home run I recommend "The Echoing Green" by Joshua Prager. Lots of bio stuff on Branca and Thomson, but it has pretty good info on the alleged sign stealing system the Giants used at the Polo Grounds.

I haven't read Prager's book, but it's his original newspaper article and then eventual book about the sign stealing that Branca references in his book.
According to Branca, he refused to talk to Prager for the original newspaper story, but once the story did come out, it freed Branca up to talk about the cheating issue because it wasn't him bringing the story to light.

Another wonderful book is 'Lefty- An American Odyssey'

Sorry I didn't think of this sooner, Russ.
This book, written by his daughter, chronicles the life of Lefty Gomez. One of the best pitchers of his era, all but forgotten now.
Gomez roomed with Babe Ruth. Or, as he liked to say, "The Babe was hardly ever there, so really, I roomed with Babe Ruth's suitcase."
The respect he had for Lou Gehrig and being one of the few fellas ever to get close and befriend Joe DiMaggio is just a wonderful read.
A couple of things I remember most from the book were these....

He had pitched well in a game attended by scouts.
After the game, one scout asked permission from the Manager to go into the locker room to see Lefty.
Five minutes later, he came out shaking his head. He said something to this effect, "He'll never be a Major League pitcher with that monster between his legs!"
'Scouting' sure has changed

The book also describes some of the caveman cures that teams utilized back in the day.
Lefty Gomez was thought to be too skinny, so they pulled some of his teeth thinking that would make a difference.
They did the same thing with Gehrig when losing his appetite.
Just strange.

One item in '56' that I found funny was Ty Cobb's comments about Joe DiMaggio.
We have to remember that Ty Cobb is a self-centered sombitch. He would give no other player a full compliment. It always came with a 'but' to remind folks that he, Ty Cobb, was the best player to ever play the game.
In the midst of DiMaggio's streak, Cobb was asked about his feelings of Joltin Joe.
Cobb explained that DiMaggio was a wonderful player and a great hitter....BUT, he should keep himself in shape during the off season, he should go hunting and fishing."
It made me laugh that that hunting and fishing was the 'work out' of the day.
These fellas may have had it right though.
There were far less injury using 'hunting/fishing workouts' as opposed to weights/core workouts'.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Another wonderful book is 'Lefty- An American Odyssey'

Sorry I didn't think of this sooner, Russ.
This book, written by his daughter, chronicles the life of Lefty Gomez. One of the best pitchers of his era, all but forgotten now.

Thanks. I'll put it on the list.

I did go to the library last night and picked up a new book.

::Side Note::

My local library isn't that big. It's not the smallest I've ever been to, but it's no Library of Congress.
It was built in 1965 and has served our community very well.
I myself have never been a big book reader, but with my 3 daughters whom are voracious readers, we have more than used our share of the library services that are provided through our library tax dollars and donations. The library has really done a great job of catering to the youth/young adults of our town.
And now our library is going through a remodel/expansion. It will be approximately 50% bigger, which is nice.

I guess because I've never really taken too much advantage of the resources myself, I never noticed how small the sports section of books is.
When I went last time, I just started at the beginning of the baseball section and started looking. I didn't get very far, "B" for Branca.
This time I was going to look over all the books, there were about 50. Fifty might seem like a lot, but not when you break it down.
20 or so books about the Cubs and or Wrigley Field.
5 or so books about the Sox and or 1919 Sox.
10 or so books about baseball fundamentals.
Then about 15 "Player" books. Most of which are about current day players like Jeter and Big Papi and Rivera.
It didn't leave me with many options to choose from, I have a feeling I may be going to Amazon or EBay for future selections.

::End Side Note:

Based partially on your comments and book availability, I picked up........



DiMaggio: The Last American Knight
It was written in 1995 by Joseph Durso

I went on Amazon after picking it up, it had only 4 reviews. Receiving a total of 2.2 of 5 score .
I'll review it here when I'm done.

I just finished reading '56' by Kostya Kennedy. A truly wonderful book that intertwines Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak with pre-war America in 1941.
A must read for any baseball fan interested in the past.
But, this isn't a book report. Part of the most interesting part of the book came in the aftermath, where it discusses the possibility or probability of such a streak occurring again.
And I will use some notes and quotes from the book in this post.

The DiMaggio streak is one of beauty. It is a record for the ages. Never changing for any era. As we've seen, even steroids did not assist hitters in having a shot at the record. The streak is the perfect mixture of skills, luck, control, clutch, and cool.
DiMaggio enjoyed all those factors.
The first thing needed is skills. Bad hitters do not go on ultra-long hit streaks. Some times a player will get 'ho't for an extended period of time. Dan Uggla comes to mind. I'll address 'hot' later in this post. But, to go on a 'real' extended streak, more skills than Dan Uggla possesses is needed.

1. 1941 Joe DiMaggio New York 56
2. 1896-97Willie Keeler Baltimore 45
3. 1978 Pete Rose Cincinnati 44
4. 1922 George Sisler St. Loui 41
5. 1911 Ty Cobb Detroit 40

These are the only men who have had hit streaks of 40 games or more. All are in the Hall of Fame, or should be.
Most records before 1900 were excluded from baseball. It was a different game in which foul balls were not counted as strikes. This is why when going back through history, we see seemingly impossible numbers before 1900.
Keeler's record however withstood that. Maybe, thanks in part, to DiMaggio.
Keeler's record stood at 44 when DiMaggio was on his streak. An additional game was found later by baseball historians.
Sisler's 41 game hit streak was recognized as THE hitting streak when DiMaggio went on his streak. Upon passing Sisler, it was then that the press made everyone aware of yet another streak that DiMaggio would have to pass.
Keeler at 44.
Can you imagine thinking you own baseball's longest streak, only to be told, "Now you need three more games!"
Thanks to DiMaggio, Keeler is in the same breath as Pete Rose, who actually tied Keeler, but the extra game was also after Rose had presumably caught Keeler.
Bill Dahlen in 1894 also had a streak of 42 games.

The same year DiMaggio had his streak, was also the same year that the last man hit .400 in baseball. Ted Williams hit .406
.400 is something that had been done before. It did not excite fans of the day. While Williams would play at home and on the road with less than 10,000 fans watching, DiMaggio played to packed houses.
Seven of the eight clubs in the league recorded their highest single game attendance when DiMaggio came to town. DiMaggio's streak was regularly on the front page. If only reading the front page of a paper during the summer of 1941, there were four names known by all. Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler, and Joe DiMaggio.
In 1941, Williams batted .406/.553/.735 with a league-leading 37 home runs and 120 RBIs. What was good then but has become incredible today is that Williams struck out 27 times in 606 plate appearances.
DiMaggio's 1941 didn't have Williams' statistics. He batted .357/.440/.643 with 30 home runs and a league-leading 125 RBIs
and struck out 13 times in 622 plate appearances.
This was an era when a strike out was loathed by hitters.Choking up to avoid the embarrassment.
DiMaggio would win the Most Valuable Player award over the last man to hit .400
Some would ask why would DiMaggio have such a long streak over such a hitter as Williams.
Williams never even had a 25 game hit streak.
Williams hit .406, DiMaggio, .357
It would seem that Williams would have the better chance for the streak off the top.
But, you know in little league when a coach says 'A walk is as good as a hit' ?
Or, as I say in fantasy, 'A walk is as good as a skipped at bat'
For a streak, a walk is as good as an out.
Williams was walked a lot. He was the only menacing hitter in his lineup for a very long time.
This is also why power hitters will probably never be included on the list above.

Can this streak be done now?
I don't think so.
In my mind, there has only been one player since Pete Rose that I thought could even have a chance at the record.
Ichiro Suzuki.
Suzuki possessed both the mind and body to go on an extended streak. But luck is also needed and Ichiro never did put together a long streak.
I don't think it can be done now because players have changed. And baseball has changed.
We live in an era where sabrs revere the base on balls. Teams are preaching to hitters that on base percentage is as important as batting average.
We live in an era where even a 10 game streak becomes somewhat newsworthy. Nothing escapes the public eye.
In the past, the first 15 games of a streak were done in anonymity. Not now.
We live in an era where hitters are taught not to 'go outside of their zone'.
DiMaggio went outside of his zone a lot.
Once during the streak, a pitcher made it clear that DiMaggio would get one shot in the first inning to prolong his streak. After that, he would be walked.
DiMaggio did not get a hit in his first at bat and he had heard the rumors of what the pitcher had said.
In his next at bat, the pitcher threw three unhittable outside pitches.
DiMaggio looked down at his Manager coaching third base and received the hit sign.
The next pitch was clearly earmarked for ball four. Closer than the other three pitches, it still, was a good six inches outside.
DiMaggio already creeping towards the plate knew that it was hittable for him. He lunged and spanked the ball past the pitcher and into center field for a hit.
Another time, the streak was on the line in the eighth inning of a game. With a runner on first and one out and a four run lead, the batter in front of DiMaggio laid down a bunt.
He laid down the bunt so that he would not ground into a double play, ending any chance of DiMaggio extending his streak.
The game was 'in hand'.
The batter only thinking of his teammate.
DiMaggio got his hit.
I just don't see that happening today.
Today, that hitter would face undo scrutiny for not trying to extend his team's lead instead of avoiding a double play.
That bunt was a footnote to the press of the day.
Now, it would go viral.

It takes a certain kind of player to not only have the skills to go on a long hit streak, but the cool, controlled mind to withstand the day to day crush of the public and media.
Every day and everywhere DiMaggio went, he was asked about only one thing. The streak.
Radio and newspapers were the only media outlets of the time. DiMaggio enjoyed reading about his streak in the paper.
The press then, courteous to a fault. Any reporter wanting a story would call ahead to get DiMaggio's permission.
15 minutes, considered a long time for an interview.
Now, the press is more demanding. 15 minutes, a dot. Just a spot on a talk show.
There are many media outlets from many different cities and National exposure that would drive a player bonkers.
They camp out at a players house. They infiltrate a players favorite eating spot. Family members asked 'how he feels'.
He would find more peace on the field where the news is being achieved, then off, where the news is being digested.

Some noted math scholars got together in 1994 to do a study on the DiMaggio streak. Their findings were that a streak such as DiMaggio's would come around every 746 years.
Some mathemeticians discount streaks entirely. That streaks are entirely luck on an overall basis.
They use the coin tossing sequence as an example. That every coin flip is 50 per cent heads, same as tails.
That in the process of flipping that coin forever, there may be a time when it comes up 'heads', 56 straight times.
Bill James said, "A hot streak simply is not real".
I doubt that James ever really played the game.
No matter the level, no matter the sport, I believe in a player getting 'hot'.
Even in my own experiences which ended with College ball, sometimes I saw the ball as an aspirin, sometimes as a volleyball.
Could Dan Uggla hit in 33 straight games without being 'hot'?
I don't think so.
DiMaggio did something utterly amazing during this streak. He got better or 'hotter' as the streak lengthened.
Most of the early games of his streak were 1 fer 4's or even 1 fer 5's.
Over the last 35 games of his streak, DiMaggio hit .440 440!
Seemingly enjoying the scrutiny of the public and smiling in reading about himself in the papers.

Since DiMaggio's streak; hit records, home run records, even Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak have all been either smashed, tarnished, broken, and lengthened.
56 still stands.
No player even coming within 10 games of the figure.
It is the one record that everybody has a chance to break.
American or Dominican
Five foot tall or seven feet tall.
120 Pounds or 260 pounds.
Singles hitter or power hitter.
Anybody can hit in 56 straight games
Yet, nobody can hit in 56 straight games.