What is Major League Baseball's most unbreakable record?

[Eric72]

Baseball is, in part, a numbers game. Some of the numbers have become so special that they were as much a part of the game as the players they were synonymous with.

Although the numbers below are no longer records, I believe most of you will associate each of them with a particular player.

755...2,130...4,191. OK, so the last number has apparently been downgraded. I'm sure we all get the idea.

So, please weigh in with your thoughts on what you consider to be the most unbreakable record in baseball.

Thanks, in advance, to everyone.

Best Regards,

Eric

[bn2cardz]

Consecutive games played at 2632

As a side note, I don't put a lot of stock in Wikipedia but it does give a good starting point for research and once had a lot of fun reading through this post:
List of Major League Baseball records considered unbreakable

[mattsey9]

511 wins.




You basically just have to average 25 victories out of your 32 starts for 20 years, and then it's still not enough.

[z28jd]

Every single season record held by John Coleman:

48 losses
772 hits allowed
510 runs
291 earned runs

[Matthew H]

All of those stats are close to being unbreakable. I think the only ones that have a chance to be broken any time soon are the 56 game hit streak, and possibly the 26 game win streak.

[bigtrain]

I voted for Cy Young although I think that 110 shutouts is equally unbreakable today.

[drc]

Cobb's career batting average would be tough, but, barring radical rules change or radical steroids strain, I don't see anyone breaking Cy Young's 511 wins.

[EGreenwood]

Cy Young's win record
Rickey Henderson's stolen base record
Sam Crawford's triple record
Jack Chesbro's single season (modern) record
These all seem to defy any future advances in longevity.

[Paul S]

Sam Crawford's 309 career triples

[T206Fan]

Cy youngs 511 wins no one will ever come close or his loss total or his complete games or even games started. These and many more reasons are the reason why it's the cy young award.

[dabigyankeeman]

25 victories a year for 20 years and you still havent reached Cy Youngs victory total, thats gotta be the one!!

[Misunderestimated]

Triples -- career record of 309. Sam Crawford
Game would have to chance a lot for this one to even become approachable.
-----

[MVSNYC]

Great thread, good options listed above...for me, it was between Cy Young's 511 wins and Ripken's Streak. in the end, i went with the 511 wins, just a ridiculous record to approach in today's game.

[markf31]

I'll go with Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back No Hitters. The thought of someone throwing 3 in a row to break the record is pretty crazy.

There are a bunch of pitching records that will never be broken, just with the way the pitchers are managed today:

Most wins in a season – 59 Old Hoss Radbourn
Most career complete games – 749 Cy Young
Most complete games in a season - 75 Wil White

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by markf31

I'll go with Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back No Hitters. The thought of someone throwing 3 in a row to break the record is pretty crazy.

There are a bunch of pitching records that will never be broken, just with the way the pitchers are managed today:

Most wins in a season – 59 Old Hoss Radbourn
Most career complete games – 749 Cy Young
Most complete games in a season - 75 Wil White

I agree with everything Mark said, 100 percent.

[Ease]

I voted for Cal Jr., but Bill Bergen's lifetime .170 batting average with over 2500 at bats would be hard to "beat!"

[MattyC]

As someone said above, the game has changed so that many of those pitching marks will be insanely hard to approach.

I'd be very curious to see how votes would shake out if the question were parsed into most unbreakable hitting record, single season record, career record, etc.

[Sean]

Adrian getting to 500 posts in less than six weeks.

[Bocabirdman]

Most career steals of first base....Germany Schaefer - One!

[DaveW]

It's so hard to win 300 games anymore, but to get to 512 would be unthinkable unless we allow guys with bionic arms to pitch.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Ease

I voted for Cal Jr., but Bill Bergen's lifetime .170 batting average with over 2500 at bats would be hard to "beat!"

I could beat that easily if only I could find some team dumb enough to let me play long enough to get 2500 AB. I'd probably end up very close to .000 (Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and over what would probably be 7500+ pitches I'd maybe get lucky and hit a handful of them)

Anyone work for a team desperate enough and clever enough to try to promote it for the gate draw? I'll gladly take the MLB minimum...

Steve B

[JollyElm]

I know it's not a record per se, but homering in your first major league at bat will never be 'beaten.' You can't homer twice in your first MLB AB. (Uh oh, I left it wide open for someone to bring up the ole 'he homered in his first AB, but the game was rained out and then he homered in his first AB of the make-up game' scenario.)

[itjclarke]

Unless teams go back to 4, or even 3 man rotations, throw away pitch and innings counts... Then allow their starters to make 10-20 relief appearances in a year (preferably entering in tie games), my vote goes to Cy's 511.

[ncinin]

While the records listed may never be broken most atleast have the possibility of being broken. No one may break Ripken's record but players will play the required number of games and it is atleast possible to break it.

I doubt anyone bats .366 lifetime but players can be on the field to potentially do it.

I think Chesbro's 41 wins is the most unattainable because pitchers will not have 41 starts to even have a chance to break it. Last 34 starts were the most in MLB.

[kcohen]

Chief Wilson's 36 triples in 1912 - With today's groomed fields and modern gloves, that record is unassailable.

[frohme]

Originally Posted by kcohen

Chief Wilson's 36 triples in 1912 - With today's groomed fields and modern gloves, that record is unassailable.

I agree, Ken - Nobody's been over 25 in how many years? I said the same on the thread last time this went around ...

I think Chesbro's 41 modern-era wins is another one.

--
Mike

[jasonc]

With Baez' Inside the park home run, this got me thinking: A couple records that are not mentioned, but will be absolutely unbreakable are Tom McCreery's 3 Inside the park home runs in one game and Sam Crawford's 12 inside the park home runs in one season.... I think if a player had 3 in their entire career that would be amazing.

I tried to google it, but didn't have any luck finding it; does anybody have a list of the most career inside the park home runs for active players?

[JustinD]

any complete games record is completely unbeatable.

The league leader average may soon be at just one game per season.

[Rich Falvo]

Originally Posted by jasonc

With Baez' Inside the park home run, this got me thinking: A couple records that are not mentioned, but will be absolutely unbreakable are Tom McCreery's 3 Inside the park home runs in one game and Sam Crawford's 12 inside the park home runs in one season.... I think if a player had 3 in their entire career that would be amazing.

I tried to google it, but didn't have any luck finding it; does anybody have a list of the most career inside the park home runs for active players?

Best I could find so far was Curtis Granderson with three. Jimmy Rollins had four, but I don't think he ever joined a team this year?

[itjclarke]

I think the only way any of the pitching marks, especially career/single season wins could ever be approached is if a team has a rubber armed knuckleballer and isn't afraid (meaning he's not a bonus baby) to use him on shorter rest than the rest of the staff (Wilbur Wood did this correct?). They'd also probably need to use him out of the bullpen where he'd be able to pick up 4-5 more wins per year.

That said, I still vote Cy's as most unbreakable, and agree Chesbro's 41 /Hoss's 59 (or 60) are unbreakable too.

Records like Ripken's streak, Rose's hits (Ichiro may well approach/pass it combining Japan/MLB meaning it is breakable), Dimaggio's 56 are superhuman.. but given another superhuman performance could all be reached/passed within the current style of today's game. 511/41 or 59/110 would all require fundamental changes in the way the game is played and the way players/pitchers are managed, coupled with superhuman.

[CMIZ5290]

Great thread, but I really don't think Bond's should even be listed. Just my opinion....

[ullmandds]

i think they're all unbeatable!!!!!!!!

[CMIZ5290]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

i think they're all unbeatable!!!!!!!!

+1!

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

i think they're all unbeatable!!!!!!!!

I agree. If most are never to be broken, how can you pick a least likely?

[Aaron Seefeldt]

Old Hoss Radbourn's 59 Wins, single season, 1884

[keaggy220]

I chose Ripken. Baseball rules could change one day to put Young's record in play. Ripken' record is impervious to baseball rule makers.