One Phillies’ Chase May Be More Unique Than You Think
Posted by Ryan T. Bright on August 4, 2006
A consecutive hitting streak in baseball captures the fans’ imagination and ultimate respect. A record that is deemed to be the most difficult record to break in all of sports, DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, has been an elusive statistic. In 65 years after the record was set,
a player hasn’t come closer than 22 games from tying it. With the influx of steroids
making a mockery of the one-time elite homerun record, the consecutive
hitting streak becomes even more remarkable. A hitting streak of this
caliber takes pure ability, talent, and wit. Artificial strength
will not achieve the scrappy hits needed to keep this record going.
Chase Utley’s accomplishment of batting safely in 35 straight games is not in the ballpark of DiMaggio’s 56, but is still nothing short of extraordinary. Only 15 players in the history of baseball have had an equal or longer batting streak. One of which was Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins at the end of the 2005 season into the beginning of 2006.
The break between seasons took much of the luster away from Rollins who made it to a staggering 38 straight games, putting him as the eighth longest consecutive batting streak behind Joltin’ Joe.
What makes Rollins and Utley’s streaks even more improbable and enticing is that the rarity of players who collect 31 or more consecutive hits are followed by a similar streak the following season. Only three times after the turn of the century it has happened in back-to-back years. In 1922 and 1987, George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby, Benito Santiago and Paul Molitor incredibly achieved the amazing record in the same year.
Yet never in the history of Major League Baseball, have two players on the same team
hit in 30 or more games in consecutive years.
Along with Utley and Rollins, the Phillies Bobby Abreu and Ryan
Howard showed similar Herculean effort to win the Homerun Derby in
back-to-back years for the same team, should open eyes in the Phillies
organization and the talk should be about if the Phillies batting coach,
Milt Thomson should be awarded a lifetime extension.
Photo By George Widman / AP
