In 1941, Joe DiMaggio embarked on a hitting streak that turned into national fascination. For 56 straight games—from mid-May to mid-July—DiMaggio found the outfield grass safely, batting over .400 during that span. As World War II loomed, his consistent excellence provided an uplifting distraction for the country. That record still stands as one of baseball’s most hallowed achievements.
Cal Ripken Jr. Becomes Iron Man, Breaks Gehrig’s Record
On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Lou Gehrig’s historic record of 2,130 consecutive games played—an emblem of toughness...