Uncle Scoopy's Ballpark: Reflections on the Diamond Anniversary of the Summer of 1941

Uncle Scoopy's Ballpark: Reflections on the Diamond Anniversary of the Summer of 1941

It is 2016. Happy New Year. This year marks the diamond anniversary of what was probably the greatest season in baseball history because of two men and a war.

We remember 1941 so vividly because the whole world was in tragic and insane turmoil while we were trying to pretend in America that it didn't affect us. For our nation, 1941 was the equivalent of senior year of high school, the time when we enjoyed our last stretch of carefree youth before having to take on responsibilities. The baseball season of 1941 was our time screwin' around at the malt shop, before Pearl Harbor reminded us that we had a family that needed us and a difficult job ahead.

The two men were, as you know if you are even a casual fan, Joltin' Joe and Teddy Ballgame. The former amassed an impossibly long hit streak; the latter batted .400 in spectacular fashion. It is a cliche to say "we have never seen their like again," but in this case it is simply fact. Since that summer, no other man has come close to hitting in 56 consecutive games, and no other man has batted .400.