Bill Bergen’s hitless streak ends at 45 at bats
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On July 17, 1909 Brooklyn and Chicago swap shutouts, with George Bell topping Chicago’s Orval Overall, 1 – 0, in the opener. Ed Reulbach comes back in the second game to beat Kaiser Wilhelm, 4 – 0. Bill Bergen’s hitless streak ends. It started after he singled in his first at bat against the Giants on June 29th. It ends in the second game today when, after sitting out the first game, he has a 4th-inning infield single against Ed Reulbach. The catcher will hit just .139 this season, not a yearly low for the punchless catcher.
Bergen record for futility with a span of 45 consecutive at-bats without a base hit, which at the time was the longest streak ever by a position player (non-pitcher). The record stood for 102 years and was broken in 2011 by Eugenio Vélez(who also, coincidentally, played for the Dodgers). (The record was again broken in 2019 when Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles went 0-for-54. Baseball historian Craig Wright wrote, “Forgotten today is how close Bergen came to extending his record. He ended his streak with what was described as a ‘lucky hit,’ an infield hit he beat out after his grounder ‘caromed off [pitcherReulbach]’s glove.
Even bigger news was Bergen’s impending trade to the Cubs.
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