Move Over DiMaggio, Make Room for the Hobo...

tayloraj · 08-08-2014, 12:56 PM

So I'm playing through my current MLB quickstart league in 2025, desperately trying to shore up the rather lousy pitching staff of my Red Sox, when my mailbox began to fill up rather regularly with news that Pittsburgh's second baseman, Raul "Hobo" Saenz was on a hitting streak. I didn't think much of it at first, since these things tend to burn themselves out after 22 games or whatever.

This time, however, Hobo kept going on and going, on past 30, past 40, breaking the NL record on June 21 and zooming right on past 50. He pulled even with Joltin' Joe on July 3rd, and, on the 4th of July, surpassed him, picking up a single in the 8th inning to extend his streak through its 57th game. The Reds finally held him hitless on the 13th, but by then he'd extended his streak all the way to 63.

I've been playing OOTP since OOTPX, and this is the longest hitting streak I've ever seen, although Frankie Frisch did once hit in 58 straight in a historical sim I did in OOTP13. Saenz possesses the perfect qualities for a streak: tremendous contact ability, speed, and a seemingly pathological unwillingness to take a walk (his career high in unintentional walks is 23). I guess this is just a reminder that, no matter how long I've been playing this game, there's always a chance to witness something incredible that I've never seen before.

Mike45 · 08-08-2014, 12:59 PM

nice! cool to hear things like this. Longest streak I've ever had in any league I've run was 50, twice, both times by Harry Heilman in the early 20's

munstermash · 08-08-2014, 01:20 PM

that is awesome, 34 is the longest i have seen in my games.

mikestack · 08-08-2014, 08:08 PM

I saw (and started a thread for...) 58 games a long time ago:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-counting.html

I simmed a season I think after the second or third patch this year where two players on 2014 rosters hit 40 game hitting streaks simultaneously. Ithought that was pretty cool.

Cryomaniac · 08-08-2014, 08:10 PM

Awesome story, and for him to break the record in the 8th inning on the 4th of July? Even better. If that happened in real life I don't know what would happen.

JMDurron · 08-08-2014, 08:47 PM

This is one record that I put ahead of winning games when I get a shot at it. Whoever is on the streak gets moved to leadoff, always swings away, etc., to try to get that wife-beating jerk out of the record books. No luck yet, though!

63 games is just awe-inspiring. Thanks for posting.

tayloraj · 08-10-2014, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

Awesome story, and for him to break the record in the 8th inning on the 4th of July? Even better. If that happened in real life I don't know what would happen.

I was thinking about this, too; kind of imagining the media frenzy to end all media frenzies, with the poor kid having to answer the same idiotic questions about the streak every day for weeks on end. Even setting aside non-white players, modern breaking pitches and relief pitchers, DiMaggio never had to deal with the 24-hour news cycle, social media and our society's obsession with celebrity gossip, making the Hobo's streak even more imaginarily impressive.

JMDurron · 08-10-2014, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tayloraj

I was thinking about this, too; kind of imagining the media frenzy to end all media frenzies, with the poor kid having to answer the same idiotic questions about the streak every day for weeks on end. Even setting aside non-white players, modern breaking pitches and relief pitchers, DiMaggio never had to deal with the 24-hour news cycle, social media and our society's obsession with celebrity gossip, making the Hobo's streak even more imaginarily impressive.

Not only that, but DiMaggio had the positive press coverage that comes with a team that was always winning during his streak. A player on a mediocre or bad team would likely get a completely different type of media treatment, even for that time and place.

tayloraj · 08-10-2014, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMDurron

Not only that, but DiMaggio had the positive press coverage that comes with a team that was always winning during his streak. A player on a mediocre or bad team would likely get a completely different type of media treatment, even for that time and place.

The 2025 Pirates finished 77-85 in the midst of a run of poor seasons that would see them lost 97 games the year before and 100 the year after. Saenz himself would bolt Pittsburgh after his record-setting season for the green, green pastures of the Bronx, taking $124 million of the Steinbrenners' money
to play for a half-decent (91-71) Yankees team. Given that he hit .374 while leading the AL in hits his first year (230), I'm going to guess that the New York press did stay somewhat off his back.

Even so, it's hard to expect the same kind of treatment Joe D got playing on a team so stacked they'd have won the pennant easily with Vince Dimaggio in center. Just like they would have in '36, '37, '38, and '39...

08-08-2014, 12:56 PM	#1
tayloraj Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 162	Move Over DiMaggio, Make Room for the Hobo... So I'm playing through my current MLB quickstart league in 2025, desperately trying to shore up the rather lousy pitching staff of my Red Sox, when my mailbox began to fill up rather regularly with news that Pittsburgh's second baseman, Raul "Hobo" Saenz was on a hitting streak. I didn't think much of it at first, since these things tend to burn themselves out after 22 games or whatever. This time, however, Hobo kept going on and going, on past 30, past 40, breaking the NL record on June 21 and zooming right on past 50. He pulled even with Joltin' Joe on July 3rd, and, on the 4th of July, surpassed him, picking up a single in the 8th inning to extend his streak through its 57th game. The Reds finally held him hitless on the 13th, but by then he'd extended his streak all the way to 63. I've been playing OOTP since OOTPX, and this is the longest hitting streak I've ever seen, although Frankie Frisch did once hit in 58 straight in a historical sim I did in OOTP13. Saenz possesses the perfect qualities for a streak: tremendous contact ability, speed, and a seemingly pathological unwillingness to take a walk (his career high in unintentional walks is 23). I guess this is just a reminder that, no matter how long I've been playing this game, there's always a chance to witness something incredible that I've never seen before. Attached Images

08-08-2014, 08:10 PM	#5
Cryomaniac Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hucknall, Notts, UK Posts: 4,902	Awesome story, and for him to break the record in the 8th inning on the 4th of July? Even better. If that happened in real life I don't know what would happen. __________________

08-08-2014, 12:59 PM	#2
Mike45 Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 162	nice! cool to hear things like this. Longest streak I've ever had in any league I've run was 50, twice, both times by Harry Heilman in the early 20's

08-08-2014, 01:20 PM	#3
munstermash Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 260	that is awesome, 34 is the longest i have seen in my games.

08-08-2014, 08:08 PM	#4
mikestack Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 213	I saw (and started a thread for...) 58 games a long time ago: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-counting.html I simmed a season I think after the second or third patch this year where two players on 2014 rosters hit 40 game hitting streaks simultaneously. Ithought that was pretty cool.

08-08-2014, 08:47 PM	#6
JMDurron All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,262	This is one record that I put ahead of winning games when I get a shot at it. Whoever is on the streak gets moved to leadoff, always swings away, etc., to try to get that wife-beating jerk out of the record books. No luck yet, though! 63 games is just awe-inspiring. Thanks for posting.