Fans with an eye toward baseball’s rich history are very familiar with Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak. Compiled in 1941, it is one of the game’s most famous and arguably one of its most difficult to be broken.
On the National League side, many know Pete Rose holds a share of the longest at 44 games, set in 1978, tying Willie Keeler’s 1897 best. If you are like me, however, you didn’t know who holds the St. Louis Cardinals record.
The correct answer is not shortstop Ryan Theriot, whose 20-game streak ended at the hands of Houston’s Cardinal killer Bud Norris and reliever Mark Melancon on Wednesday night in Houston.
Theriot’s feat was non-trivial, however, and reached more than halfway to the team record. It is tied for 32nd-longest in team history and is the best streak by a Cardinal since Ryan Ludwick went 21 games two seasons ago.
I did find it interesting that Theriot’s .759 OPS during his streak was the lowest of any of the 42 streaks on the top list and his .326 batting average was third-worst.
Albert Pujols strung together 30 consecutive games with a hit back in his third season of 2003, the best performance by a Cardinal in the last decade. In the process, Pujols tied Stan Musial, whose 30 games in 1950 is the longest streak ever by a Cardinals left-handed hitter.
The overall team leader?
That would be Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. “Rajah” hit safely in 33 consecutive games almost 89 years ago, in August and September 1922.
St. Louis Cardinals longest hitting streaks, consecutive games
| Rk | Hitter | Strk Start | End | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SO | BB | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 1 | Rogers Hornsby | 8/13/1922 | 9/19/1922 | 33 | 146 | 38 | 68 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0.466 | 0.494 | 0.808 | 1.302 |
| T2 | Albert Pujols | 7/12/2003 | 8/16/2003 | 30 | 118 | 29 | 46 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0.390 | 0.467 | 0.712 | 1.179 |
| T2 | Stan Musial | 6/27/1950 | 7/26/1950 | 30 | 121 | 21 | 47 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.388 | 0.435 | 0.661 | 1.096 |
| T4 | Curt Flood | 9/17/1961 | 5/4/1962 | 29 | 131 | 26 | 52 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0.397 | 0.429 | 0.588 | 1.016 |
| T4 | Ken Boyer | 8/10/1959 | 9/12/1959 | 29 | 117 | 14 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0.350 | 0.389 | 0.607 | 0.996 |
| T4 | Harry Walker | 7/21/1943 | 8/18/1943 | 29 | 114 | 23 | 46 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.404 | 0.438 | 0.491 | 0.929 |
| T7 | Red Schoendienst | 6/11/1954 | 7/9/1954 | 28 | 124 | 21 | 48 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.387 | 0.422 | 0.524 | 0.946 |
| T7 | Joe Medwick | 8/17/1935 | 9/11/1935 | 28 | 120 | 25 | 43 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.358 | 0.384 | 0.583 | 0.967 |
| 9 | Lou Brock | 4/30/1971 | 5/30/1971 | 26 | 112 | 29 | 48 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 0.429 | 0.471 | 0.554 | 1.025 |
| 10 | Joe McEwing | 6/8/1999 | 7/4/1999 | 25 | 110 | 13 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.318 | 0.350 | 0.436 | 0.787 |
| T11 | Joe Torre | 9/30/1970 | 4/28/1971 | 24 | 96 | 14 | 41 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.427 | 0.444 | 0.615 | 1.059 |
| T11 | Wally Moon | 5/5/1957 | 5/31/1957 | 24 | 99 | 21 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0.343 | 0.381 | 0.697 | 1.078 |
| T11 | Stan Musial | 6/6/1952 | 6/28/1952 | 24 | 90 | 23 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0.400 | 0.505 | 0.633 | 1.138 |
| T14 | Jose Oquendo | 6/28/1989 | 7/25/1989 | 23 | 84 | 15 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0.464 | 0.505 | 0.595 | 1.101 |
| T14 | Pepper Martin | 4/29/1935 | 6/3/1935 | 23 | 104 | 26 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0.433 | 0.459 | 0.519 | 0.978 |
| T14 | Frankie Frisch | 8/12/1931 | 9/4/1931 | 23 | 99 | 22 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0.394 | 0.423 | 0.505 | 0.928 |
| T17 | Willie McGee | 7/5/1990 | 8/1/1990 | 22 | 87 | 12 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0.414 | 0.446 | 0.517 | 0.963 |
| T17 | Vada Pinson | 7/6/1969 | 8/1/1969 | 22 | 89 | 14 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0.326 | 0.365 | 0.449 | 0.814 |
| T17 | Harry Walker | 5/22/1943 | 6/15/1943 | 22 | 80 | 18 | 36 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.450 | 0.506 | 0.638 | 1.143 |
| T17 | Stan Musial | 5/16/1943 | 6/5/1943 | 22 | 83 | 18 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0.386 | 0.485 | 0.614 | 1.099 |
| T17 | Whitey Kurowski | 4/27/1943 | 5/23/1943 | 22 | 90 | 16 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.356 | 0.389 | 0.478 | 0.867 |
| T17 | Johnny Mize | 8/2/1936 | 8/24/1936 | 22 | 82 | 20 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.390 | 0.474 | 0.707 | 1.181 |
| T17 | Jim Bottomley | 8/4/1924 | 8/25/1924 | 22 | 87 | 17 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0.460 | 0.500 | 0.770 | 1.270 |
| T17 | Rogers Hornsby | 9/17/1920 | 4/25/1921 | 22 | 99 | 18 | 45 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0.455 | 0.491 | 0.636 | 1.127 |
| T25 | Ryan Ludwick | 9/17/2008 | 4/18/2009 | 21 | 77 | 15 | 32 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0.416 | 0.483 | 0.857 | 1.340 |
| T25 | Lou Klein | 5/9/1943 | 5/30/1943 | 21 | 89 | 17 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.303 | 0.361 | 0.539 | 0.900 |
| T25 | Enos Slaughter | 9/8/1940 | 9/26/1940 | 21 | 81 | 18 | 34 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0.420 | 0.472 | 0.667 | 1.139 |
| T25 | Joe Medwick | 7/1/1936 | 7/23/1936 | 21 | 87 | 18 | 43 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.494 | 0.532 | 0.736 | 1.268 |
| T25 | Ernie Orsatti | 5/30/1932 | 6/26/1932 | 21 | 81 | 13 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.370 | 0.400 | 0.519 | 0.919 |
| T25 | Les Bell | 7/7/1926 | 7/30/1926 | 21 | 79 | 19 | 41 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0.519 | 0.573 | 0.797 | 1.371 |
| T25 | Milt Stock | 9/15/1921 | 4/18/1922 | 21 | 84 | 17 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0.393 | 0.440 | 0.476 | 0.916 |
| T32 | Ryan Theriot | 5/15/2011 | 6/7/2011 | 20 | 86 | 8 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.326 | 0.352 | 0.407 | 0.759 |
| T32 | Placido Polanco | 7/21/2001 | 8/11/2001 | 20 | 84 | 13 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.364 | 0.464 | 0.828 |
| T32 | John Mabry | 5/19/1997 | 6/9/1997 | 20 | 79 | 11 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.418 | 0.447 | 0.544 | 0.991 |
| T32 | Lou Brock | 5/16/1967 | 6/6/1967 | 20 | 93 | 22 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 0.376 | 0.379 | 0.677 | 1.056 |
| T32 | Bill White | 7/23/1964 | 8/12/1964 | 20 | 81 | 14 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.469 | 0.494 | 0.667 | 1.161 |
| T32 | Stan Musial | 9/23/1957 | 5/7/1958 | 20 | 75 | 16 | 41 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.547 | 0.607 | 0.880 | 1.487 |
| T32 | Wally Moon | 7/16/1957 | 8/3/1957 | 20 | 74 | 14 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0.392 | 0.466 | 0.527 | 0.993 |
| T32 | Stan Musial | 6/1/1957 | 6/20/1957 | 20 | 75 | 13 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0.400 | 0.453 | 0.747 | 1.200 |
| T32 | Stan Musial | 9/12/1953 | 4/19/1954 | 20 | 79 | 22 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0.443 | 0.516 | 0.848 | 1.364 |
| T32 | Terry Moore | 8/1/1942 | 8/22/1942 | 20 | 75 | 13 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.347 | 0.402 | 0.440 | 0.842 |
| T32 | Rogers Hornsby | 7/3/1923 | 7/22/1923 | 20 | 80 | 20 | 43 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0.538 | 0.575 | 0.875 | 1.450 |
Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for pulling the above table.
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