Which baseball player was famous for his 56-game hitting streak?

Joe DiMaggio was the baseball player famous for his 56-game hitting streak. He achieved the record for the New York Yankees during the 1941 Major League Baseball season, recording at least one hit in every game from May 15 through July 16.

The streak surpassed Wee Willie Keeler’s previous major-league record of 44 games, set in 1897. DiMaggio’s run ended on July 17, 1941, when Cleveland Indians third baseman Ken Keltner made two difficult defensive stops that helped keep DiMaggio hitless.

During the streak, DiMaggio collected 91 hits in 223 at-bats, batting .408 with 15 home runs and 55 runs batted in. The following day, he began another 16-game hitting streak, meaning he hit safely in 72 of 73 games.

A common mix-up is confusing DiMaggio’s 56-game major-league streak with his earlier 61-game hitting streak for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1933. The MLB record remains one of baseball’s most celebrated achievements.