Joe DiMaggio sucked in the World Series.
In the regular season Joe DiMaggio struck out every 18.59 At Bats (AB). In the World Series (WS): every 9 at home, every 8.38 on the road.
In 90 AB at home Joe DiMaggio had only four RBI. FOUR. That's one fewer than the number on his back.
All eight of Joe DiMaggio's (WS) Home Runs (HR) were hit on the road.
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
Joe DiMaggio sucked in the World Series, part 2.
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Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees went to Cleveland for a three games series July 16, 17, 18, 1941. By then DiMaggio had broken the hitting streak (at least one hit in each game) record of 44 and was up to 55. It looked like that streak might continue for a while.
In 1941 the Indians played about 32 games in Municipal Stadium, which seated 78,811 (1932–1948), and about 45 games in League Park, which had many fewer seats.
Cleveland Municipal Stadium:
The Indians played all of their games at the stadium from the middle of the 1932 season through 1933. However, the players and fans complained about the huge outfield, which reduced the number of home runs. Moreover, as the Great Depression worsened, attendance plummeted.[9] In 1934 the Indians moved most of their games back to their smaller previous home, League Park.
In 1936, the Indians began playing Sunday and holiday games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium during the summer. Beginning in 1938, they also played selected important games there. Starting in 1939, they played night games there as well because League Park didn't have lights. ... abandoning League Park entirely after the 1946 season.
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Games one and three were played in League Park, game two in Municipal Stadium at night. League Park did not have lights. DiMaggio was stopped in Municipal Stadium before 67,463 fans. The next day against Bob Feller DiMaggio started a 16 game hitting streak. Feller, the game's greatest pitcher in 1941, was starting against the Yankees in the Indians small ball park. About 18,000 fans showed up. Game one had drawn about 15,000.
The day after Feller beat the Yankees the Indians played the lowly Washington Senators in League Park before about 6,000. The next day those teams played a Sunday doubleheader in Municipal Stadium before 20,815.
What the heck? Why would the Indians play only one of three Yankee games in Municipal Stadium? In 1940 and 1942 the Indians played more games in Municipal Stadium than in League Park. Why was it different in 1941?
Standings on Tuesday, July 15, 1941
Tm W L W-L% GB RS RA pythW-L%
NYY 54 27 .667 -- 469 375 .601
CLE 50 33 .602 5.0 403 349 .565
BOS 43 37 .538 10.5 472 410 .564
CHW 41 40 .506 13.0 342 335 .509
DET 42 43 .494 14.0 403 425 .476
PHA 36 43 .456 17.0 400 468 .429
WSH 29 50 .367 24.0 366 440 .417
SLB 28 50 .359 24.5 389 442 .442
The Indians were in second place, six behind the Yankees in losses. A three game sweep would cut that in half. The pennant race was an even more important reason for the Indians to have played all three of those games in Municipal Stadium.
Did DiMaggio's streak stop because that game was played in Municipal Stadium before a huge crowd ... at night?
As demonstrated in the opening comments DiMaggio hit very poorly in World Series home games before crowds over 60,000 fans at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Were Indian players more keyed up before the many home town fans that Thursday night July 17, 1941? Two Indian pitchers stopped DiMaggio: southpaw Al Smith and righty Jim Bagby, Jr.
Smith pitched from 1934 through 1945, his final six seasons with Cleveland. In 1941 Smith was 33 years old: 12-13, 206 innings, 3.83 ERA, 12 home runs, 76 strike outs, 75 walks. Based on Smith's game log he pitched against the Yankees five times in 1941. Here are the four other than the game in which DiMaggio's streak ended:
Thursday, May 8, 1941 in League Park
Attendance: 13,000, Time of Game: 2:16
Yanks won 5-4. Smith started and allowed three runs all earned in two innings. DiMaggio was 2 for 4 with GDP. Since there is no play by play, we don't know if DiMaggio got hits against Smith. This is one week before the streak started May 15 at Yankee Stadium against the Chicago White Sox.
Sunday, June 15, 1941 in Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 43,962, Time of Game: 1:45
Yanks won 3-2. DiMaggio 1 for 3, RBI, BB, HR. The home run came off Bagby who started but lasted only 3.33 innings and allowed all three earned runs. In this game Smith relieved Bagby and finished the game. DiMaggio got no hits off Smith.
Wednesday, July 23, 1941 in Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 10,728, Time of Game: 1:55
Yanks won 3-2. DiMaggio 1 for 3, RBI, BB, HR. Same as the previous game in which Smith pitched. Smith started but lasted only 4.33 innings, allowing all three earned runs, including home runs by DiMaggio (22) and Charlie Keller (23). This was six days after Smith and Bagby had stopped DiMaggio in Cleveland.
Monday, September 15, 1941 in Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 2,775, Time of Game: 1:55
Yanks won 4-2. DiMaggio 1 for 3. Smith started, allowed all four earned runs and all six hits.
Al Smith began his career with the New York Giants (1934-1937: 32-30, 3.84 ERA, 485 innings) and pitched against the Yankees in the 1936 and 1937 World Series. In the 1936 WS Smith pitched only in game two, an 18-4 blowout by the Yankees at the Polo Grounds; with the Giants trailing 2-1 lefty Smith relieved righty starter Hal Schumacher with the bases loaded, no outs, to face three lefty batters: Lou Gehrig singled, Bill Dickey singled, George Selkirk flied out, Jake Powell walked and Smith was removed. Oddly, in his two plate appearances against Schumacher, DiMaggio bunted: single in the first; sacrifice (safe on error) as the last batter Schumacher faced.
Smith relieved in two games in the 1937 WS. In game one at Yankee Stadium Smith pitched the eight inning with the Yankees leading 7-1 and allowed a HR to the first batter, Tony Lazzeri. At the Polo Grounds in the fifth and final game with the Yankees leading 4-2, the final score, Smith relieved starter Cliff Melton who finished the fifth inning and took the loss; in two innings Smith allowed one hit, one SO and one HBP: Tony Lazzeri who had homered off Smith in his only other appearance in the 1937 WS. In the seventh after retiring Red Rolfe, Smith struck out DiMaggio; Gehrig then tripled but Dickey flied out.
Thursday, July 24, 1941 in Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 9,972, Time of Game: 2:00
Yanks won 4-1. DiMaggio 1 for 3, BB. Bagby pitched all 8 innings. This was one week after the streak ended.
Friday, August 22, 1941 in League Park
Attendance: 9,000, Time of Game: 1:50
DiMaggio did not play. Tommy Henrich replaced him in center going 1 for 3 including a double plus a walk. Bagby pitched a complete game victory bringing his record to 9-10.
So DiMaggio got hits off both Smith and Bagby in 1941 including one home run off each. However, they held him hitless that night in Municipal Stadium. Smith started and took the loss; he went 7.33 innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 BB, 4 SO, HR (Joe Gordon). Bagby finished: one hit, BB, SO. DiMaggio was 0 for 3, BB, GDP. Bagby got DiMaggio to ground into the double play in his final plate appearance, the only one against Bagby in that game.
But Smith got some help. Ken Keltner was 24 in 1941. Keltner played a game in 1937 then was a regular 1938-1944, 1946-1948; only 80 games in 1949; finished with 13 games for Boston in 1950. All Star 1940-1944, 1946, 1948.
Was Keltner quicker and more alert playing before 67,463 fans that Thursday night? It was the most fans at any game in any park in 1941. Just the fact that it was a night game was unusual and could have juiced him up. We'll never know. Cleveland's star third baseman, supposedly made two outstanding fielding plays on DiMaggio before the huge crowd in that game. Here are the descriptions from "Joe DiMaggio, The Hero's Life" by Richard Ben Cramer who recently died:
He almost got a hit his first chance - a screamer headed for the left field corner. But the third baseman, Ken Keltner, was playing so deep that he snagged the drive on a hop, near the chalk in short left, and from the grass in foul ground whipped a long throw across to beat Joe at first base... for his third chance, Joe hit another hard shot toward Keltner - who was now playing even deeper - and again, Joe was narrowly nipped at first.
Did the streak stop because the game was played at night? DiMaggio played in four other night games in 1941, the first three also during the streak, none at home as the Yankees had not yet installed lights. The Yankees played six night games in 1941 but DiMaggio did not play in the final one. Here are those other night games.
Wednesday, May 28, 1941 in Griffith Stadium Washington, DC
Attendance: 25,000, Time of Game: 2:30
Yanks won 6-5. DiMaggio 1 (triple) for 4 plus a walk.
Thursday, June 12, 1941 in Comiskey Park Chicago
Attendance: 37,102, Time of Game: 2:35
Yanks won 3-2 in 10. DiMaggio 2 for 4, RBI, BB, HR.
Thursday, July 10, 1941 in Sportsman's Park III St. Louis
Attendance: 12,682, Time of Game: 1:07
Yanks won 1-0 in 5. DiMaggio 1 for 2.
Friday, August 8, 1941 in Shibe Park Philadelphia
Attendance: 29,270, Time of Game: 2:12
Yanks lost 5-3. DiMaggio 0 for 4, SO.
Wednesday, August 27, 1941 in Sportsman's Park III St. Louis
Attendance: 13,416, Time of Game: 1:55
Yanks won 11-1. DiMaggio did not play. Tommy Henrich replaced him in center going 3 for 5 including a home run.
So DiMaggio played in five night games in 1941 with hits in three of them, all during the streak.
Everything counts, including the number of people and the time of day. Did the change of venue prevent DiMaggio from getting a hit? Probably not but there's no way to know. If you've gotten this far, you'll probably want to read these two posts:
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
DiMaggio's hitting streak.
That's the MLB record and odd as it is that record made DiMaggio the most famous baseball player in America less than six months before our entry into World War II...
1. Joe DiMaggio ... the MLB record, not Ty Cobb, not Willie Keeler.
2. Joe DiMaggio set the minor league record, also: 61 games in 1933 in the highly regarded Pacific Coast League
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
DiMaggio's hitting streak: part 2
Why DiMaggio? Joe hit the ball hard, often (only 13 strike outs in 1941) and he seldom walked, although in 1941 he walked 76 times, second only to his 80 in 1950...
However, even though Cobb and George Sisler are the only two batters to have two MLB streaks of at least 30 games, it was Joe DiMaggio who set the record here on planet earth...
If there is nothing heroic in sports, why watch? Just to see which random event occurs that day? Just watch for car crashes outside your window or if you can't wait watch NASCAR. How pathetic. Just do it the old fashion way: retreat to Strat-O-Matic and roll dice in your room all day.
In real life it's Joltin' Joe DiMaggio who holds the record. Give the man credit for doing something that by your own reckoning he was not likely to do...
DiMaggio's streak is 27% longer than Rose's. How many records are that much greater than the runner up? ...
DiMaggio alone could have extended his streak substantially: to 73 games ... with a little luck in that famous game in Cleveland when he was robbed on two bullets hit to third.
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