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Paul Molitor 39 game hitting streak halted – longest AL streak since Joe DiMaggio

 

On August 26, 1987, the 39-game hitting streak of Milwaukee Brewers star Paul Molitor comes to an end. Molitor’s streak is the longest in the American League since Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game streak in 1941.

Molitor’s streak comes to an end as he waits in the on-deck circle watching pinch hitter Rick Manning single home the winning run in a 1 – 0, 10-inning victory over the Cleveland Indians at County Stadium

On a two-strike pitch, Manning sent a soft single to center. Mike Felder motored around to score, and the Brewers had captured a nail-biting extra-inning win, 1-0. Teddy Higuera had completed 10 scoreless innings in the midst of a run that would be remembered for generations, and the Brewers remained on the outskirts of the postseason equation.

But something wasn’t right.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Manning said. “I got to first base, and I turned around. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. I heard a couple of cheers and the boos, and everyone looked like they were moving in slow motion. I think they were in a shock for a little bit there.”

Boos. Is it the only time in Wisconsin sports history that a player had accounted for the winning score, only to be booed by the home fans?

In this case, it had everything to do with the man standing on deck. Paul Molitor, who would have gotten one more crack against reliever Doug Jones if Manning had been retired, was one of the first players out to greet Manning in the surreal celebration that followed. But the outcome meant Molitor’s 0-for-4 batting line had been cemented, and his 39-game hitting streak had come to an end.
 

Molitor’s 39-game hitting streak
July 16: Double to right vs. California’s Kirk McCaskill, second inning
July 17: Single to right vs. California’s Mike Witt, third inning
July 18: Single past shortstop vs. California’s Don Sutton, first inning
July 19: Single to right vs. California’s Jack Lazorko, fifth inning
July 20: Single to right vs. Seattle’s Mike Morgan, second inning
July 21: Did not play
July 22: Single to left vs. Seattle’s Mark Langston, sixth inning
July 23: Single to center vs. Oakland’s Joaquin Andujar, third inning
July 24: Double to left vs. Oakland’s Greg Cadaret, seventh inning
July 25: Single to left vs. Oakland’s Curt Young, first inning
July 26: Single to left vs. Oakland’s Dennis Lamp, first inning
July 27: Single to center vs. Texas’ Jeff Russell, seventh inning
July 28: Home run to right vs. Texas’ Jose Guzman, fifth inning
July 29: Double to left vs. Texas’ Greg Harris, first inning
July 30: Double to left vs. Chicago’s Neil Allen, sixth inning
Aug. 1: Single to left vs. Chicago’s Jose DeLeon, eighth inning*
Aug. 2: Home run to right vs. Chicago’s Bill Long, third inning
Aug. 4: Home run to left vs. Baltimore’s Scott McGregor, first inning
Aug. 5: Double to left vs. Baltimore’s Eric Bell, third inning
Aug. 6: Single to left vs. Baltimore’s Scott Mike Griffin, fourth inning
Aug. 7: Double to right vs. Chicago’s Dave LaPoint, fifth inning
Aug. 8: Single to left vs. Chicago’s Jose DeLeon, first inning
Aug. 8 (game 2): Single to center vs. Chicago’s Floyd Bannister, seventh inning
Aug. 9: Double to right vs. Chicago’s Jim Winn, ninth inning*
Aug. 10: Single to left vs. Texas’ Jose Guzman, third inning
Aug. 11: Single to left vs. Texas’ Greg Harris, first inning
Aug. 12: Single to center vs. Texas’ Pete Kilgus, third inning
Aug. 13: Home run to left vs. Baltimore’s Tom Niedenfuer, ninth inning*
Aug. 14: Single to left vs. Baltimore’s Eric Bell, seventh inning
Aug. 15: Single to right vs. Baltimore’s mike Flanagan, first inning
Aug. 16: Double to right vs. Baltimore’s Dave Schmidt, third inning
Aug. 17: Bunt single vs. Cleveland’s Scott Balles, third inning
Aug. 18: Infield single to short vs. Cleveland’s Jamie Easterly, sixth inning
Aug. 19: Home run to left vs. Cleveland’s Don Gordon, fourth inning
Aug. 20: Double to left vs. Cleveland’s Ken Schrom, second inning
Aug. 21: Double to right vs. Kansas City’s Danny Jackson, fourth inning
Aug. 22: Single to right vs. Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen, first inning
Aug. 23: Single to left vs. Kansas City’s Charlie Liebrandt, fifth inning
Aug. 25: Single to right vs. Cleveland’s Don Gordon, sixth inning
Aug. 26: 0-for-4 vs. Cleveland’s John Farrell@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@

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