Joseph Paul Dimaggio joined the New York Yankees in 1936 right after Babe Ruth left for Boston. Although Babe's departure had left Lou Gehrig as the undisputed Yankees powerhouse, Joe soon began to eclipse the Iron Horse, at least in newspaper coverage if not in actual playing statistics. However, within two years, Lou's playing began to rapidly decline due to what has long been believed to be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, now almost always called Lou Gehrig's disease.
But it's Joe's famous hitting streak of 1941 that solidified his reputation to that of one of the all time greats of baseball. No one has come close to breaking his record of 56 consecutive games with at least one hit. Many doubt anyone ever will.
But then came a big shock. In 2008, two Cornell scientists fed baseball statistics into a computer and found .....
Well, for those to whom the quest for enlightenment is a journey with a first step far too long to stride, it might be best to move to another page. But for the true fans of Joltin' Joe who seek The Truth, regardless of where it leads, why just click here.