Streak Ended

As it must to all streaks, an end came at last to Joe Di Maggio's batting spree. In a night game in Cleveland's vast Municipal Stadium, just two months and two days after starting the longest batting streak in the history of major-league baseball, Joe went hitless.

In 56 successive league games, the crack Yankee Clipper had gone to bat 223 times, had made 91 hits (including 15 homers, four triples, 16 doubles) for a total of 160 bases. Against 42 pitchers, he had struck out only five times.*

Last week, against Cleveland's slick Southpaw Al Smith and Righthandy Jim Bagby (who relieved Smith in the eighth), Di Maggio failed to get a ball past the infield. Off Smith, he grounded out twice and drew a walk. Off Bagby, he hit smack into a double play.

Said Joe, expelling his long-held breath: "I'm tickled to death it's all over. . . ." Next day, grinning, he started another string that had reached a count of three by week's end--despite the cunning of Pitchers Bob Feller and Harold Newhouser.

* During his streak, Di Maggio used three bats. The first was stolen after he broke George Sisler's modern record of hitting safely in 41 games. The second, with which he cracked Wee Willie Keeler's alltime record of 44, was raffled off in Di Mag's native San Francisco for the benefit of U.S.O. It brought $1,700.

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