Is Dimaggio's Hitting Streak the Greatest Record in all of Sports?

[ajcardfan]

I was watching highlights of Utley extending his hitting streak to 33 games. Still nowhere close to DiMaggio, but getting daily media coverage. The odds against him reaching 56 are phenomenal.

Let's say a guy is a .400 hitter. The odds of getting a hit in 56 straight games is .400^56. that equals 5.2 to the -23!!!!!!!!!!

I can't think of any athletic feat close to this other than Rose's (apologies to Wee Willie Keeler
) 44 game streak. Maybe Chamberlin's 100 point game? But, that was a one time deal, I have to say DiMaggio's streak was more incredible and might be the one record we can realistically expect to never be matched.

 

[nathan]

Let's say a guy is a .400 hitter. The odds of getting a hit in 56 straight games is .400^56. that equals 5.2 to the -23!!!!!!!!!!

Actually that would be the probability of getting a hit in 56 consecutive AB. Instead of .400 you want the probability of getting at least one hit (1-P(no hits)) in a game which is (1 - (1 - .400)^4.5))=.8996 assuming 4.5 AB in the game.

.8996^56=0.00267362675

Still not an easy thing to do.

 

[ajcardfan]

Actually that would be the probability of getting a hit in 56 consecutive AB. Instead of .400 you want the probability of getting at least one hit (1-P(no hits)) in a game which is (1 - (1 - .400)^4.5))=.8996 assuming 4.5 AB in the game.

.8996^56=0.00267362675

Still not an easy thing to do.

Thanks for the math correction!

That makes it more feasible, but I still can't think of anything that tops it.

 

[devilalum]

I was watching highlights of Utley extending his hitting streak to 33 games. Still nowhere close to DiMaggio, but getting daily media coverage. The odds against him reaching 56 are phenomenal.

Let's say a guy is a .400 hitter. The odds of getting a hit in 56 straight games is .400^56. that equals 5.2 to the -23!!!!!!!!!!

I can't think of any athletic feat close to this other than Rose's (apologies to Wee Willie Keeler
) 44 game streak. Maybe Chamberlin's 100 point game? But, that was a one time deal, I have to say DiMaggio's streak was more incredible and might be the one record we can realistically expect to never be matched.

Want longer odds, how about the Dbacks picking up Gonzo's $9 million dollar option for next year.

 

[Lefty]

Total wins by Cy Young 511. He also had 749 complete games. Those records will never be passed.

 

[devilalum]

Total wins by Cy Young 511. He also had 749 complete games. Those records will never be passed.

That record has more to do with the way the game has changed.

 

[Lefty]

That record has more to do with the way the game has changed.

Still, it will never be broken. I think DiMaggio's hitting streak will be broken.

 

[D-Dogg]

Yes, it is.

And I freaking hate baseball.

 

[arthurracoon]

Still, it will never be broken. I think DiMaggio's hitting streak will be broken.

Records are meant to be broken.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Want longer odds, how about the Dbacks picking up Gonzo's $9 million dollar option for next year.

Ha.. I got even longer odds than that.

Next year, the Diamondbacks bring Russ Ortiz back and re-sign him to a 3 year, $33 million dollar contract.

THAT is the longest of long odds.

I really don't think that DiMaggio's record will ever be broken. When you think about this, broken down, we're looking at a player hitting every day for nearly 2 months straight. I just can't see it happening. Not anytime soon. The closest anyone came to reaching the mark was Pete Rose, with 44. At this point, a more likely goal would be reaching 44.

Despite this though, there's one individual feat-record that I think is even more unobtainable-- Ripken's Ironman Record. Now a days, most players are lucky to make it through the SEASON without missing a day due to injury.

 

[Russ Smith]

Until it was broken I would have said Beamon's long jump because it was so far off the charts. But I would have to say 56 and 72-in 73 games probably is the greatest now.

 

[Stallion]

This isn't a record, but the number that I'm most facinated with these days is .400. All the steroids in the world won't help you hit .400. If/when someone pulls that off in today's age, it'll be huge.

To me personally, that was the biggest shame of the 1994 strike. Tony Gwynn was hitting .394 at the time.

 

[Ryanwb]

I think Orel Hershiser's 59 inning scoreless streak is very close to being as impressive and equally difficult to break