Luis Castillo Breaks DiMaggio's 56-Game Hitting Streak

Miami, Florida -- The unbreakable record has been broken.

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, set in 1941, and which many considered was an untouchable record, was broken by Florida Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo.

Castillo made history when he dragged a bunt single Wednesday in the Marlins 4-3 loss to the Expos in front of 3,127 fans.

"I can’t believe it," Castillo said of DiMaggio's record. "I just tried to keep it going. That's a tough record. I got to 57, man."

The last time Castillo did not get at least one hit was May 7 against the Padres. In his streak, he has 24 multi-hit games and is hitting .423, 90 for-213, to raise his overall average to .349.

"I get a hit (everyday)," Castillo said, "for two months. That's hard. I don't know how I did that."

Castillo had a 22-game hitting streak in 1999 and a 19-game streak last year, but no one besides “Joltin’ Joe” ever got to 50. There have been only seven streaks of 31 or more games since 1950, the longest being Cincinnati Reds Pete Rose's 44-game streak in 1978, which tied Willie Keeler for the National League record. Keeler's 44-game streak was in 1897.

"I feel good at home plate," Castillo said. "I feel comfortable. I want to keep going, you know? I don't want to miss a game."

There was some doubt whether he would play Wednesday after being hit by a Javier Vazquez pitch in the left ankle in the fifth inning Tuesday.

"I didn't think he would play, in all honesty,” Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "I thought Homer Bush would be playing second base today."

Hall of Famer George Brett, who had a 30-game hitting streak in 1980 when he hit .390 with the Royals, traveled to Pro Player Stadium and watched Castillo break the record.

"I don't think anyone who hits in 57 straight games is a fluke," Brett said. "He's a sure Hall of Famer now, and boy can he hit and run."

Castillo, a switch hitter, demonstrated his speed with the drag bunt in the third.

"He's just unbelievable," Torborg said of Castillo. "He's so fun to watch. He's playing with a lot of confidence and professionalism. He knows he's going to get a hit when he comes up to the plate. I’ve played with some great, great teams -- like the ’65 Dodgers -- but I have never seen such a phenomenal hitter like Luis.

"He's not worried about it (the streak). He just wants to keep that thing going forever."

Charles Johnson, looking to end an 0-for-36 drought, said Castillo "is the best second baseman in the game, if not all time."

"He's doing it all for us," Johnson said. "He's stealing (his 40^th in the third inning). He's setting the table for everyone. He's setting the tempo at the first AB, taking pitches. He's the catalyst of our offense. He's hitting the ball all over the field."

The umpiring crew allowed the game to be momentarily paused for a minute as a few of Castillo’s teammates shook his hand.

The large crowd of 3,000 fans stood up and cheered their approval after the scoreboard read, “That was the 57^th straight game in which 2B Luis Castillo has got a hit.”