It was a wild and wonderful season, that culminated in a Yankee World Series win and a controversial MVP vote. Check out the big players:

        Ted Williams had one of the most famous seasons in baseball history, the last man to hit .400. His on-base percentage of .551 is the highest ever in a single season. He entered the last day of the season (a doubleheader) hitting .39955, and pounded out six hits in eight at bats. It was arguably the greatest season ever by a hitter, and The Splinter was only 23 years old
        But Joe DiMaggio had an even more famous season. After a slow start, DiMaggio caught fire and hit safely in 56 consecutive games. The Streak is still the most exhilirating feat by any player in any single season of play. When McGwire and Sosa chased Maris' record in 1998, it was called the greatest record in baseball; but if someone challenged and passed DiMaggio's record, my belief is that it would be twice as exciting and twice as big a story.
        Joe DiMaggio was the Yankee Clipper; he played for 13 years, all of them with New York, and won nine World Series. He was the most graceful player ever to put on a uniform, both at bat and in the outfield. He was a career .325 hitter, and had 361 career homers, despite missing three full seasons to service in WWII. Not only was he a great player, but DiMaggio became a genuine cultural icon. After he retired, he married Marilyn Monroe for a short time; he was also a key figure in Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea, and can also be found in Paul Simon's Mrs. Robinson. Even in recent years, he was the subject of a Seinfeld episode.
        The Streak, of course, is what he is most famous for, and it has not been seriously challenged in 60 years. As a player, DiMaggio could do anything. His numbers are not as great as they might have been, partly because of the three lost war years, but also because Yankee Stadium, with its huge power alley in left field, was the worst park for him to play in. Had DiMaggio played in any other park, he would have been a much greater hitter (as is well known, his batting average on the road was higher than Ted Williams'). A good case can be made that Joe was the greatest centre fielder ever, maybe a greater outfielder than anyone except Ruth.
        Cecil Travis also had a big season, hitting a nifty .359 and playing well at shortstop. Travis isn't well remembered, but he was one of the better shortstops of the era. He began his career with Washington in 1933 and hit .300 eight times in nine years, including a .344 average in 1937. Travis had his best year this season, at age 28; but just as he was hitting his prime, Travis left for the war. When he came back he played just three years, and wasn't very good. In total, Travis played for twelve years, all of them with Washington; he was a career .314 hitter.
        And don't forget Canadian outfielder Jeff Heath of the Indians, who is one of five players ever to get 20+ doubles, triples and homers in the same season. He hit .340 to boot. This was his best season, but he had many other good ones. For many years, Heath lay claim to being the best position player ever born in Canada, though Larry Walker has since taken away that title.
        I'm picking DiMaggio for MVP; Williams' numbers may seem better, but what the hell. DiMaggio led his team to the pennant, and was a much better defensive player. And people still sing songs about The Streak.