Chasing 56: DiMaggio's Record, Rose's Pursuit and Nine Other Contenders for Immortality

Eighty-five years have passed since the Summer of 1941, when a tall, lean Italian American, wearing the famous New York Yankees pinstripes, captivated a nation in the lead-up to World War II. Joe DiMaggio set the baseball world on fire with his prowess, obliterating the record for consecutive games with a hit, with 56.

In the decades that followed, no player has approached within even ten games of that mark. The all-time "hit king" Pete Rose came closest with 44, and thousands of other batt...