Andre Ethier Hitting Streak Extended To 30 Games

NEW YORK -- Andre Ethier singled in the first inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers' game against the New York Mets on Friday night, becoming the first major league player in two years with a 30-game hitting streak.

Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese fell behind 3-0, and Ethier lined the next pitch to center field. The previous player with a hitting streak of that length was Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, who hit in 30 straight games from April 8 to May 12, 2009.

The 29-year-old Ethier was scratched from the starting lineup for the first time this season on Wednesday because of an inflamed left elbow. He was batting .387 during the streak.

Ethier is one game shy of the Dodgers record, set by Willie Davis from Aug. 1 to Sept. 3, 1969. He surpassed Zach Wheat's 29-game streak for the second-longest in club history. Wheat's streak was from Aug. 20 to Sept. 16, 1916, when the team played in Brooklyn.

"Someone asked me who Zach Wheat was," Ethier said before the game. "I thought he was another minor leaguer we had. I thought he was being called up."

The last player with a streak of more than 30 games was Philadelphia's Chase Utley, who hit in 35 in a row from June 23 to Aug. 3, 2006.

"I'm not losing a wink of sleep about it," Ethier said before the game, happy to discuss his streak.

This summer marks the 70th anniversary of Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees.

"Fifty-six – that's a long way away," Ethier said.

Comments

[Vintage59]

01:31 AM on 05/08/2011

Thirty in a row is quite an accomplishment. Talk of DiMaggio is premature but unavoidable.

To me the ultimate accomplishment in Baseball would be a pitching feat. Twenty seven go up to bat, twenty seven go down on strikes.

[Nelson Montana]

06:08 PM on 05/07/2011

Although it's unlikely someone will break Joe's record, it IS breakable. Some aren't. (Cy Young's wins, Walter Johnson's shut outs among them).

Also, DiMaggio set that record when half the league was drafted into WWII.

And no one has really beaten Ruth's HR's in one season yet. : )

[jcwtts1]

12:41 PM on 05/07/2011

Now it gets interesting. There are about 45 people on the list at 30+ games in their hit streaks but every single hit shrinks the list pretty dramatically. If he gets a hit today he goes from tied for 35 to tied for 25. Jimmy Rollins is at 8 with 38 hits. He faces the Mets, awful pitching, the Pirates, Awful pitching in the next 6 games Then it gets interesting. Arizona, not great but divisional, Brewers, good to great staff, especially with Grienke back, and then the Giants. Assuming hits through the bad pitching the brew crew gets him going for 40, and the giants get him going for Pete Rose and 44. God I love baseball.

[bmwracer]

12:32 AM on 05/07/2011

Go Andre!

So far, the only bright light in a dismal Dodger season.

[pocketwookie]

11:12 PM on 05/06/2011

Franks just ended.

[ReelBusy]

10:52 PM on 05/06/2011

When DiMaggio set the record they recorded a song about it.
Anyone going to sing for this guy?

[StephenJK]

02:21 AM on 05/07/2011

I was just thinking that and it would be kind of a shame for Andre Ethier to break his record of 56. But, this kid's got a LONG way to go. 26 games. Dimaggio was bigger than baseball. This kid isn't.

[Gary Storch]

05:11 PM on 05/07/2011

He very well could be if he breaks Joltin Joe's record.
Baseball is a very strange game.

[AbeMartin]

10:17 AM on 05/07/2011

I always wanted to see one of the Baseball Statistics geeks analyze the quality of the pitchers Joe DiMaggio faced in 1941 using the evaluative criteria that are employed today including when, during the 56 games, Joe's hits fell.   I do know that he was was incredibly lucky.  Some of his hits should have been errors.   Also, starters were expected to pitch for nine innings (or more) and the closer and the late innings relief pitchers were seldomly used.  Can you imagine what would have happened if he had had to face the likes of Brian Wilson or Mo Rivera in the eighth and ninth innings?

Also, one other interesting fact.  Joe averaged .408 over the course of his streak.  His Boston Red Sox rival averaged .406 over the entire season.
l

.

[jcwtts1]

12:48 PM on 05/07/2011

http://sabermetricresearch.blogspot.com/2008/04/carl-bialik-on-dimaggio-streak.html

Not exactly what you are looking for but there are a ton of links. The best thing about baseball is that if you've thought it up someone else has to.

J