greatest MLB record ever?

Question

everyone says its dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak, which is amazing, needing to perform for 2 months straight.....i understand how remarkable that is......however, cy young's 511 wins is untouchable, and cal ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played record r 1a and 1b in my mind. also.....rickey's 130 sb's in a season...ty cobb's .367 career average...ryan's 5,714 K's..........i just want opinions or any unbreakable records im missing

Answer 1

I think that by far the "One Record" that will stay unbeatable for another decade or so would have to be DiMaggio's 56 Game Hit Streak. If you think about it, players these days don't get that many hits in consecutive games to compile a hit streak that would surpass 56 games. Another one would be Ty Cobb's Career Average, see below...

You all think that Cy Young's 511 wins is untouchable and you are right it is, but take in to consideration that this was in the early 1900s, when pitchers would pitch on 2 days rest or less even. They didn't have the 5 man rotation that we have these days.

Cal Ripken's 2,632 Consecutive Games Played is another feat that will remain untouchable for a very, very long time. I don't see any one coming close that amount of consecutive games played. Teams these days don't want their players to over work or get injured from constant playing. With big contracts, team's want their players to make it worthwhile, due to this you will rarely see a player play every single game the whole season.

Rickey's 130 SBs is a record that will remain a record for a decade or two or until Jose Reyes decides its time to steal bases at an increasing rate. A stolen base every game would make it easy for Reyes to accomplish the feat. But, as I said, It will remain a record for a decade or two, or until...

Ty Cobb's .367 Career Average is amazing too, and I doubt it will ever be broken. With pitcher's these days being able to keep their batters in check simply say that this will never happen, just like the 56 Game Hitting Streak

Nolan Ryan's 5,174 Strike Outs is amazing too, but you have to once again take in consideration the 5 man rotation and the injuries that plague 8 of the 10 pitchers

Another record you were missing was the 262 Single Season Hits set by Ichiro Suzuki in 2004. If there is any one who can break this record its got to be Ichiro Suzuki.

And then there is the...Home Run Record...set by Uhm...Bonds*, the only person who is close or the best candidate (if Healthy) is A-Rod, he should break it in about 8 to 10 Years.

Answer 2

I say DiMaggio's hit streak is tied w/ Cal Ripkens consecutive games streak. Which is easier to get?

Well nowadays w/ specialty bullpen pitchers you have to face more pitchers than DiMaggio did to get the streak.

Also, Ripken's probably harder to do w/ all the ways you could get hurt (him being a SS too for so long), but they said no one would ever pass Gehrig either.

I can see both of them being broken in our lifetime, but to pick one or the other I can't. They are by FAR the 2 hardest records to reach.

Rickey's SB record would be 3rd.

I acknoledge the fact that Cy Youngs 511 wins and Ryan's 5714 K's are probably untouchable. HOWEVER, it would not be fair to compare different eras because we use a 5 man rotation now. Ryan and Young didn't have to worry about that. We also have pitch counts that they never had to worry about.

I would say a young pitcher COULD get there if we didn't have these guidelines in baseball, but w/ pitching at such a premium it will never happen. So that's why I didn't name them first. It's just not a fair fight anymore.

Answer 3

Every time this "most unbreakable" thread pops up, it needs some criteria attached. Records can be career, season, game, inning, hitting, pitching, fielding, cumulative/counting, rate/average, streak... you get the point.

The very most unbreakable? Young's complete games, and no other career counting record comes close. Gameplay conditions have shifted much too far for this one ever to feel even the breath of a challenge, unless gene therapy breakthroughs eventually deliver human longevity that'll make any PED-boosted marks seem like child's play.

Other than that one -- mathematically unassailable -- the hardest records to break may very well be the ones no one WANTS to break: Young's 316 losses; Ryan's 2795 walks; Biggio just fell short of Jennings' nearly century-old HBP mark (though Kendall might get there -- still, it's been standing quite some time); Jackson's strikeouts isn't desirable but might fall soon (Sammy really may have a chance, if not Thome is in position to storm past).

Records that no one wants to own -- particularly in the cases of the losses and walks marks, it's hard to imagine a pitcher would bring enough positives to the mound to stick around long enough to even begin challenging either one. It is simply extremely unlikely a pitcher would get the chance.

Answer 4

I would say Cal Ripkens record because through all that time nothing had happened for him to end up on the DL. Most players these days don't even play the full 162 games. Alot of times you see players taking a day off for rest.
Second i would put Nolan Ryans record. Roger Clemens is still 1,000 off from even tying it. No other pitchers come close. These two records I doubt we'll see fall in our life time. I still do not see any pitcher today that will match Ryan's record, or even challenge Ripkens.
Rickey Henderson's record might still be standing, but I do see players challenging it, Carl Crawford or even Ichiro I think could challenge it.

Answer 5

I'd take Ripken off the list. Unfortunately towards the end of his streak, he would have helped the team more if he had taken a few days off here & there. I think the greatest individual record is the Strikeout record. It's almost entirely up to the pitcher to accomplish this feat (catchers help too) and therefore, one of the greatest individual records.

SB's would be a close 2nd for the same reason.

Wins are too dependent on Games pitched and the team around you.

The batting average record is great, however, pitchers have gotten MUCH better since the days of Cobb.

HR's in either career or season have become the biggest joke due to the steroid era.

Other records I hold in high regard:
On Base % - Ted Williams .482
Win / Loss % - Al Spaulding .796

Answer 6

Definitely, without question, Cy Young's win record of 511, his complete game record of 749 and his innings pitched of 7,355. Not to mention his loss record of 316. Untouchable because of the way the game is played now. For more recent records, I would say Eric Gagne's consecutive converted save chances record of 84. Way too many. Also, Hershiser's scoreless inning streak of 59. Too many.

Answer 7

its gotta be cy youngs 511 wins and cal ripkens 2,632 consecutive games and of course 5,714 K's. Those will never be touched. All the other, got a chance to be broken.

Answer 8

Ryan's K Record
Fernando Tatis 2 Grand Slams in one inning
Ryan's No-Hitter Record
Rose's Hit record
Hershiser's scoreless innings record
I cannot remember who did these, but the Modern-era Wins by pitcher in a season, and BA AVG.
In the Modern age these all require incredable longevity, or season situations which just do not happen any more. The Tatis record simpley because he is the only one EVER to do it since the NL started in 1876!

Answer 9

the greatest record that is untouchable is Cy Young's 511 wins. That just freaking insane. Next, I would go with the hit streak and Henderson's SB's, then Ty Cobb's AVG.

Answer 10

I think Cy Young's win record is the most untouchable. When he pitched there were 2 man rotations, and rarely a reliever. Thus at that time it was easier to get the win.

However I personally think Rickey Henderson's career Stolen base record is the greatest record ever.
1st. Rickey Henderson--1406 stolen bases
2nd. Lou Brock-- 938 stolen bases

He has 49.9% more stolen bases than the second person on the list.