Minnesota Twins

StaTuesday: 30th anniversary of Molitor's hitting streak

Published Aug. 8, 2017 12:31 p.m. ET

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Dave Heller

Paul Molitor will be back in Milwaukee this week as the Brewers host the Minnesota Twins, the team Molitor manages.

Thirty years ago in early August, Molitor was in the midst of what would be a 39-game hitting streak, which was the longest such streak in baseball in almost 20 years. No one had reached that many consecutive games in the American League since Joe DiMaggio's record-setting 56-game tear in 1941. And no one -- in either league -- has topped Molitor's 39-game streak since.

The streak famously (at least in Milwaukee) came to an end Aug. 26 with Molitor in the on-deck circle as Rick Manning singled in the lone run of a 1-0 Brewers victory over Cleveland in 10 innings at County Stadium.

Molitor had to get a hit in his last at-bat three times previously and came through.

On Aug. 1 vs. the Chicago White Sox, he singled in the eighth inning against reliever Jose DeLeon.

On Aug. 9 again against the White Sox but this time in Chicago, he doubled in the eighth off Jim Winn. That gave Molitor a 24-game hit streak, tying Dave May (1973) for the longest in franchise history. "There was a lot of luck on that hit. I was aware of the situation and the pressure," Molitor said afterwards.

His closest call came on Aug. 13 at Baltimore. Molitor had gone 0 for 3 against Orioles starter Mike Boddicker. But Milwaukee sent five men to the plate in the eighth, scoring once, off Boddicker and reliever Tom Niedenfuer. That allowed Molitor to bat in the ninth, the third man due up. "That's the advantage of leading off when you have a hitting streak," he'd say. With two down, he homered off Niedenfuer to extend his streak to 28 -- or halfway to DiMaggio.



Molitor nearly had a similar chance on Aug. 26. He was 0 for 4 against Cleveland starter John Farrell, including reaching on an error in the eighth when first baseman Pat Tabler bobbled a throw from third baseman Brook Jacoby on an easy bouncer. Despite the potential go-ahead run on second base, Indians manager Doc Edwards didn't intentionally walk the hot-hitting Molitor.

"I had a gut feeling the percentages were running out on Molitor," Edwards said. Milwaukee manager Tom Treblehorn wasn't so sure about Edwards' strategy at the time: "If it was me over there, I'd walk him. But the streak had everybody so goofed up, maybe even I'd pitch to him."

However, no one else was hitting Farrell either. Or, for that matter, Brewers starter Teddy Higuera. The game was scoreless and went into extra innings.

In the home 10th, Cleveland reliever Doug Jones hit Rob Deer. Speedy Mike Felder ran for Deer and went to second on an Ernest Riles grounder. With Molitor two batters away, Dale Sveum was intentionally walked.

Juan Castillo was scheduled to hit next, but Manning's name was called to bat in his place. The part-time outfielder hadn't had a plate appearance since going 1 for 6 on Aug 19 and had appeared in only one game since, on Aug. 21 as a defensive replacement.

When Manning took a strike on the first pitch, the crowd, knowing Molitor's chance to extend his streak to 40 games hinged on Manning not driving in the winning run, cheered.

Those cheers turned to boos when Manning singled and Felder came home with the game-ending run.

"It was the strangest thing I've ever seen. I never heard of a player being booed for the game-winning hit," Manning said. "I thought maybe I had been traded back to Cleveland in the middle of the game."

Manning had said Molitor was encouraging him to get a hit from the on-deck circle, but Manning was still, strangely, apologetic.

"I told Paulie I was sorry," he said. "Paul was great, He told me, 'Way to go. It had to end sometime."

"It was such a strange, strange situation," Molitor said. "There was the irony that I'd possibly have another chance because of the ineptitude of our offense and on the other hand I was really pulling for Archie to win the ballgame. You just try to focus on winning the game and disregard what you personally have at stake."

Fans wouldn't leave after the game and Molitor had to come out and take a curtain call. With the streak now over, he also was able to reflect on what had occurred over the last 39 games.

"I feel disappointment coupled with relief," Molitor said afterwards. "I feel very fortunate to have gotten the chance to be among the top five or six hitting streaks of all time. And I know that my pride will continue to grow each day and each year, and when I look back on it all, I know it will be one of the most satisfying accomplishments of my life.

"It's been an emotional night for me, being called out (by the fans) after the game and seeing my family in the stands. It reminds me of what I've been through," he said. "It's been humbling, and I'm glad for the opportunity. In a lot of ways, it's disappointing. … Someday, when I'm retired, I'll look back on this. I'm very happy at what has happened."

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow, Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns

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