Photos: On this day – July 16, 1941- Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game

Posted Jul 16, 2012

By vwilliams

July 16, 1941 – Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game, a streak that still stands as a MLB record.

Joseph Paul “Joe” 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 was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

A three-time MVP winner and 13-time All-Star, DiMaggio is the only player to be selected for the All-Star Game in every season he played. During his thirteen years with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.

At the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579). He was voted the sport’s greatest living player in a poll taken in the baseball centennial year of 1969.

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Joe DiMaggio lines a single to left field in the seventh inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Washington June 29, 1941, to set a record for hitting safely in 42 consecutive games. In the first game, DiMaggio tied George Sisler's record of 41 games, set in 1922. The catcher is Jake Early of the Washington Senators. Yankees won both games, 9-4, 7-5. (AP photo)
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Joe DiMaggio, Yankee baseball centerfielder is shown, Sept. 1, 1941. (AP Photo/Tom Sande)
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Dominic DiMaggio above, 19-year-old brother of Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees, is hitting .483 in a semi-pro league in Monterey, Calif., July 30, 1936 and has his eye on professional baseball. Another brother of the sensational Yankee rookie, Vince, is outfielder for the San Diego Padres. Dominic plays shortstop. (AP Photo)
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New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio follows through on a hit during a 6-4 exhibition win against the Cardinals at St. Petersburg, Fla., March 11, 1939. Don Padgettis catching for the Cards. (AP Photo)
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Giuseppe DiMaggio, a retired fisherman, and his celebrated baseball star son, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees, examine the day’s catch on the stern of the crab fishing boat operated by Joe’s brother Mike in San Francisco, Oct. 28, 1937. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio, the New York Yankee holdout champion homerun slugger, does a bit of slugging of another nature at McGovern Gymnasium in New York, Jan. 31, 1938. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio waves farewell as he leaves his San Francisco, Ca., home to join his New Yankees teammates after his hold-out campaign, April 20, 1938. DiMaggio, who accepted the New York Yankees offer of $25,000 for the season, said he is "all excited about getting back there and rapping the ball again." (AP Photo)
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Eighteen-year-old Joe DiMaggio crosses home plate for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1933, his first full year as a professional ballplayer. He hit in a league-record 61 consecutive games that season. DiMaggio was considered a blue chip prospect, but a 1934 knee injury off the field scared away most major league teams. The Yankees' scouts thought otherwise, and DiMaggio was in Yankees pinstripes for the 1936 season. (AP Photo)
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Tony Lazzeri of the Yankees is congratulated by the batboy as he crosses home plate on his homer in eight inning of first 1937 World Series game at Yankee Stadium in New York on Oct. 6, 1937. Catcher is Gus Mancuso and umpire is Red Ormsby. Batter coming up is Joe DiMaggio. (AP Photo)
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Back in his Yankees uniform after a long holdout, Joe DiMaggio is shown on April 23, 1938 in the home ballpark in New York City as he obliged autograph-seeking youngsters in the bleachers. The San Francisco slugger expected to be in playing form within a week. The Washington Nationals celebrated DiMaggio's presence in the park by beating the Yanks 7 to 4. (AP Photo/Tom Sande)
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Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees outfielder, slides past Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati Reds catcher, in the ninth inning of the fourth game of the World Series to tie the score, 4-4, at Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 8, 1939. The Yankees came through with more than three runs in the tenth inning to win the game and the Series in four straight games. (AP Photo)
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This view of Charles Keller scoring is the final 1939 World Series game here on Oct. 8, 1939 at Cincinnati, was part of the hectic 10th inning that witnessed the complete collapse of the Reds as three Yankees scored on Joe DiMaggio's single. Miller is leaping over prostrate Ernie Lombardi with the ball just beyond the catcher's reach. Before Ernie could recover it Dimaggio, too, had crossed the plate, making the final score, Yanks 7, Reds 4,. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees, right, and Dominic DiMaggio of the Boston Red Sox speak at the All Star game, March 17, 1940 in Tampa, FL. (AP Photo)
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Mayor F.H. LaGuardia of New York is shown presenting to Joe DiMaggio, Yankees' centerfielder, a gold watch and a citation award as the most valuable baseball player in the American League during the 1939 season. The presentation was made at the Yankee - Cleveland Indians game on August 23, 1940, at Yankee Stadium in New York, where DiMaggio topped off the day with his 27th home run of the season. Shown are, left to right, Sid Mercer, president of the Baseball Writers Association; DiMaggio; John Drebinger, chairman of the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association; and Mayor LaGuardia. (AP Photo)
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New York Yankee Joe Di Maggio at bat July 1, 1941 during the first game of a doubleheader. DiMaggio had hits in both games of the sweep of the Boston Red Sox to extend the streak to 44 games, tying Willie Keeler's major-league record. (AP Photo)
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Ted Williams is greeted at home plate by teammate Joe DiMaggio (5) and coach Marv Shea after hitting a dramatic ninth-inning home run to give the American League a 7-5 victory over the National League in the All-Star Game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, July 8, 1941. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio, right, of the New York Yankees, congratulates Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams whose ninth inning homer defeated the national league All Stars, 7-5, in Detroit, Mich., July 8, 1941. (AP Photo)
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Fans swarmed around Joe DiMaggio and Lefty Gomez, right, of the Yankees when these two famed players called at Treasury House in Washington, Aug. 4, 1941, and offered to autograph books of defense savings stamps. (AP Photo)
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Tommy Henrich, right, New York Yankee outfielder, comes home on his eighth inning homerun at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sept. 9, 1941 and is congratulated by teammate Joe DiMaggio , left,. The homer provided the margin with which the Yanks beat the St. Louis Browns, 1-0. Art Passarella is the Umpire. (AP Photo)
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Dom DiMaggio, Boston Red Sox outfielder, who in the second inning of Boston Red Sox-Detroit Tigers game at Boston on Sept. 9, 1941 smashed out a homer with the bases loaded, was out on this play at third in the fourth inning. He advanced on Finny’s grounder to pitcher Thomas, who relayed to Tigers third baseman, Mike Higgins, who made the put out. Ump. George Pipgras looks on. Sox won 6-0. (AP Photo/J. Walter Green)
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In this image provided by the U.S. Army Air Forces, five former major league baseball players hold sewing bee upon their arrival at a Central Pacific base on June 9, 1944. All are attached to the 7th Army Air Force, and are busily engaged sewing on shoulder patches. Left to right: Sgt. Dario Lodigiani, Sacramento, Calif., (Chicago White Sox); Sgt. Walter E. Judnich, San Francisco, Calif., (St. Louis Browns); Corp. Myron W. McCormick, Stockton, Calif., (Cincinnati Reds); Staff Sgt. Joseph P. DiMaggio, San Francisco, Calif., (New York Yankees); Pfc. Gerald E. Priddy, Los Angeles, Calif., (Washington Senators). (AP Photo/U.S. Army Air Forces)
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Joe DiMaggio at throwing practice in Balboa Field as Yankees held first workout in Panama on Feb. 11, 1946. (AP Photo/Charles Victor)
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A head shot of "Yankee Clipper" Joe DiMaggio, as he appeared during spring training, March 6, 1946, in Bradenton, Florida. (AP Photo/stf)
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Joe DiMaggio with bat ready at first days workout on March 6, 1946 in Bradenton, Florida after returning from Panama. DiMaggio has been out since 1942 for with U.S. Army service. (AP Photo/PS)
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Yankees' centerfielder Joe DiMaggio crosses the plate with his fifth inning home run during the third game of the World Series at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, October 2, 1947. Johnny Lindell congratulates him as George McQuinn (9) and Dodger catcher Bruce Edwards stand at left. Umpire is Ed Rommel. (AP Photo)
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New York Yankees pitcher Bill Bevens, left, who pitched a one-hitter and lost, 3-2, and Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio walk down the runway leading to the clubhouse at Ebbets Field after Game 4 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Oct. 3, 1947. With two men on in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bevens was one out away from pitching the first World Series no-hitter when Dodger pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto lined a walk-off double to right field. Brooklyn?s improbable win evened the series at 2-2. Lavagetto?s dramatic double was his only hit in the series, and the last hit of his career. Bevens would pitch 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in the decisive Game 7 of the series. This was his fourth and last year in the majors. (AP Photo/John Lindsay)
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Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankee outfielder, slides safely across home plate in the first inning of the second game of the Yankees-Washington Senator’s doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in New York on May 31, 1948. DiMaggio comes in from third as outfielder Gil Coan’s throw eludes catcher Jake Early. Coan handled a long fly to left field by Yogi Berra, but failed to catch DiMaggio at the plate. Yanks won 5 to 4 to sweep twin bill. (AP Photo/Harry Harris)
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Red Sox centerfielder Dom DiMaggio (left) and brother Joe, who plays the same position for the New York Yankees, get together to exchange family gossip at Fenway Park in Boston on Oct. 2, 1948 before the first game of a crucial Red Sox?Yankees two game series in Boston. The Sox and Yanks are tied for second place in the American League pennant race. (AP Photo/FCC)
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New York Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio connects with the ball as he competes in a pre-game home run derby at Yankee Stadium, June 27, 1949 in New York. (AP Photo/John J. Lent)
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Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees singles to left field after five pitches in the second inning of the Red Sox - Yankees night game at Fenway Park, June 28, 1949, his first major league appearance of the year. Joe DiMaggio singles and scored the first run in the second inning on Hank Bauer's homer over the left field wall. Looking on are Matt Batts, of the Red Sox and Jerry Coleman, of the Yankees. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees centerfielder, back in action after a viral illness, goes down swinging to end the first inning for the Yankees against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, in New York, October 1, 1949. Catching is Birdie Tebbetts. The umpire is Bill Summers. Yanks won 5 to 4. (AP Photo)
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Joe DiMaggio at bat in the ninth inning of the fourth game of the 1949 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, October 7, 1949. The Yanks took the game 6-4 and eventually won the Series, 4 games to 1. DiMaggio batted a very sub-par .111 for the Series. (AP Photo)
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Playing first base for the first time in his major league career, outfielder Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees handled 13 putouts flawlessly July 3, 1950, game with the Washington Senators. Joe leaps in the air to take a bad throw and tag out Sherry Robertson in the eighth inning. (AP Photo/Bill Allen)