The 2011 Dodgers season has been about one topic, really: Frank McCourt, and hoping that the team can be pried from his clutches.

Which is too bad, because Andre Ethier has just done something that has a place in history.

His 30-game hitting streak, which began on Opening Day and ended tonight, is quite impressive, especially considering the Dodgers franchise record is 31 games, by Willie Davis in 1969. Not saying I’m old, or anything, but I remember following that 3Dog streak quite closely, and Ethier came with one game of matching it.

Still, we found that getting to 30 straight games is quite an achievement. It pales in comparison to DiMaggio’s 56-gamer in 1941, but everything does. The second-longest single-season streak in MLB history was the 44-gamer by Pete Rose 33 years ago.

How rare is a 30-game hitting streak?

It was only the 45th streak of 30 or more games in baseball history … and only the 38th since 1900 (when the “modern” game is generally considered to have begun).

And some of the people with 30-gamers? Besides DiMaggio and Rose, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Rogers Hornsby Nap Lajoie, Rico Carty, Vladimir Guerrero, Tris Speaker, Stan Musial, George Brett … some very nice company.

So, a 30-game streak; nothing to sniff at … only 45 in big-league history.

To put that into context, 271 no-hitters have been thrown in baseball history.

Guys have hit for the cycle 291 times.

So what Ethier just did is far more rare. Though, no, not as rare as a perfect game, which Justin Verlander missed by one walk today. Only 20 of those have been thrown, all-time.

Also, from my dealings with him, I found him to be a polite, bright guy. Not giddy, but not profane, not dismissive. Someone a reasonable person can deal with, which is about all you can expect out of a ballplayer.

Anyway, Andre Ethier gave Dodgers fans something to cheer for in what looks like a lost season … one in which most time and attention will be given to somehow separating the  McCourts from it.