Show Joe Started Hit Streak Just Two Months Agoy Ago B By y TOM SILER CHICAGO July 15 AP Two AP-Two Two months ago today year 26 o old ld Joe DiMaggio stepped up to the the plate in Yankee stadium 1 a and nd smacked ed a clean single off Ed Smith chubby Chicago White Whit i S Sox ox southpaw The Yankee Yanke slugger had no way no-way way of knowing then that he was wa 5 projecting himself LOn on on t the h I a most sensational batting streak el c ever r recorded corded in major league his tory In those lean days J Joe was wa 5 delighted to collect anything resembling re resembling resembling a base hit Batting champion of ot the league e in 1939 and 1940 Joe had just returned returned re re- 1 turned from a sad trip below th the C mark Until he got that hit hi off oft Smith he had iad drawn n hor horse e collars in 11 games between April Apr ii 22 and May 14 Of m course all baseball fans know kno St what hes he's done since Mel Harder Harde r held h him m hitless May 14 Joe hr has is done so well that today he wet went it against this same chubby Smith Ii in an effort to extend h his J consecutive con cot 5 hitting game streak to l 55 games Willie Keeler's Keeler old record of ot 4 44 14 lasted more than 40 years years Your You ir guess is as good go-ad as anyone's c on In how long Joe Joe's incredible string ig will endure Joe was batting when h his is streak began In the subsequent It two months months months' the Yankee Powerhouse Powerhouse Power Power- r- r house has collected 86 hits hits' In 2 15 times at bat scored 52 runs runs col cc I total bases knocked knocked- in 54 runs and blasted 15 home runs 14 doubles four fou triples and 5 3 singles This promiscuous slaughter of ot o all kinds of pitching pitching- has boosted him into leadership of t f the league league in runs batted in home runs am and total hits He is tied with brother brothe Dominic of ot the Red Sox for runs run scored and is js fourth in batting a at |