Baseball Loves Asterisks

This interesting article raises an intriguing question: should Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak have an asterisk? The answer, of course, is no. But let’s play along for a little bit, if just to humor the idea. The idea, espoused by David “The Admiral” Robbeson, revolves around Yankee Stadium scorekeeper Dan Daniel. (Judging by his name, I’m not certain he even exists.)

Specifically, Robbeson cites two games in the middle of the streak, the 30th and 31st, when DiMaggio managed just one hit. In each of these games, the hit was suspect and could well have, and perhaps should have, been deemed an error.

The first involved a bad bounce that hit off the shoulder of shortstop Luke Appling after he reached for it. Hits and errors were not immediately recorded on the scoreboard so, Robbeson writes, some spectators believed the streak had come to an end. Daniel, however, called it a hit.

The 31st game of the streak involved a fielding play that was also arguably an error on the part of Appling, who got his glove on the ball, but dropped it. Again Daniel scored it a hit.

Scorekeepers tend to favor the home team? Egads! What a shock! You know, considering how every scorekeeper in MLB favors the home team, I’m not sure that DiMaggio had an unfair advantage. He played roughly half his games at home, which is what most baseball players do. Really, the only reason I felt this was necessary to share is because the original article is from the Canadian magazine Walrus. I originally read it as Canadian Magazine Walrus, pictured below in its natural habitat.

Koo Koo Kachoo!