List of Major League Baseball records considered unbreakable
Encyclopedia
The following Major League Baseball
records are generally considered by many to be extremely unlikely to ever be broken again. It is compiled from various sources including sports writers, players, and fans. Many of these were initially set by either freak occurrences of greatness or during the early decades of baseball when certain rules, techniques and fundamentals were in place that have since drastically evolved over time, making it almost impossible to replicate such feats in today's game.
, 1890–1911. Highlights include: five 30-win seasons and fifteen 20-win seasons. The next closest player is Walter Johnson
, with 94 fewer wins at 417; he was the only other player to have reached 400. The most wins by a pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era
is Warren Spahn
's 363.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 25 wins in 20 seasons just to get to 500. In the past 33 years, only two pitchers (Ron Guidry
in 1978 and Steve Stone
in 1980) have had one season with 25 wins. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leader finished each year with an average 21. The closest active player is year old Jamie Moyer
with 267 wins.
, 1890–1911. Highlights of this record include: nine 40-complete-game seasons, eighteen 30-complete-game seasons and completing 92 percent of his total career starts (815). The next closest player is Pud Galvin
, who has 103 fewer complete games at 646. Among pitchers whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, the most is 382 by Warren Spahn.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 30 complete games over 25 seasons to get to 750. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leaders in complete games averaged 8 per season. The closest active player is Roy Halladay
with 66 complete games.
, 1907–1927. Highlights include: eleven 6-shutout seasons and leading the league in shutouts 7 times. The next closest player is Grover Cleveland Alexander
, who has 20 fewer shutouts at 90. As is the case for career wins and complete games, Warren Spahn holds the record among pitchers whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, with 63.
For a player to tie Johnson's record, he would have to pitch 5 shutouts every season for 22 years. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in shutouts finished each year with an average of 4. The closest active player is Roy Halladay
, with 20.
described this as "the most unbreakable of all baseball records." Between 2000 and 2009 there were 20 no-hitters pitched.
, 1966–1993. Sandy Koufax
is second with 4 no hitters. No other pitcher has tossed more than three no hitters. Between 2000 and 2009 there were 20 no hitters. Only 30 pitchers have thrown 2 or more no-hitters, and of the 19 active pitchers that have thrown a no-hitter, only 3 have pitched more than one (Mark Buehrle
, Roy Halladay
and Justin Verlander
have each pitched two no hitters).
, 1966–1993. Highlights include: six 300-strikeout seasons, fifteen 200-strikeout seasons, and leading the league in strikeouts 11 times. To accomplish this record, Ryan played the most seasons (27) in MLB history.
The next closest player is Randy Johnson
, who has 839 fewer strikeouts at 4,875. Johnson is also the last pitcher to have a 300 strikeout season (achieving this four consecutive seasons from 1999–2002). For a player to approach this, he would have to average 225 strikeouts over 25 seasons just to get to 5,625. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in strikeouts finished each year with an average of 287. The closest active player is Javier Vázquez
, with 2,536 strikeouts.
, 1966–1993. Ryan ended up walking 50 percent more hitters than any other pitcher in history. The next closest is Steve Carlton with 1,833.
, 1995–present. Highlights include 15 consecutive seasons with 25 or more saves, 9 consecutive seasons with 30 or more saves (both records), and 14 seasons with 30 or more saves (tied with Trevor Hoffman
).
For a player to reach Rivera's record, they would have to earn an average of 35 saves for 17 consecutive seasons just to get to 595 saves or 40 saves for 15 consecutive years to reach 600. , the closest active player was 36-year old Francisco Cordero
, who has 323 saves and is 279 saves behind.
, 1963–1986. The closest active player, as of July 24, 2011, is Derek Jeter, with 3,015, at the age of 37. To get within 6 hits of tying Rose, a player would have collect 250 hits over 17 consecutive seasons, or more than 200 hits over the course of 21 seasons. In the past 81 years, only Ichiro Suzuki
has topped 250 hits in a season (with 262 hits in 2004). As of July 28, 2011, Ichiro has 2,361 major league hits and 1,278 hits in the Japanese major leagues for a combined, unofficial total of 3,639 while Derek Jeter
is the MLB leader with 3,088 through September 30, 2011.
, 1899–1916. Highlights include: five 20-triple seasons and sixteen 10-triple seasons. The next closest player is Ty Cobb
, who has 14 fewer triples at 295. Because of changes in playing styles and conditions that began around 1920 and have continued into the present from the dead-ball era
to the live-ball era
, the number of triples hit has declined noticeably since then. Among hitters whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, the leader in career triples is Stan Musial
, with 177.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 15 triples over 20 seasons just to get to 300. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in triples finished each year with an average of 17. The closest active player is Carl Crawford
, with 112.
in 1928 after beginning his career in 1905. Highlights of this record include; three .400 seasons, nine .380 seasons, leading the league 11 times in batting average. Cobb managed to hit .323 in his final season at age 41. The next closest player is Rogers Hornsby
who had a batting average of .358. There are only 3 players with a career average over .350. Since 1928, there have been only 46 seasons in which a hitter reached .366 and only Tony Gwynn
attained that mark at least four times, finishing with a career .338 batting average. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in batting average finished each year with an average .360. The active player with the highest batting average is Albert Pujols
at .328.
, 1941. Highlights include a .404 batting average and 91 hits. The next closest player is Willie Keeler
who had a streak of 11 fewer games at 45 over 2 seasons. There have been only six 40-game hitting streaks, the most recent one occurring in 1978, when Pete Rose
hit in 44 straight games. This also marked the only time since 1941 that a player has reached a 40-game hitting streak. Since 1900, no player other than DiMaggio has ever hit for 55 of 56 games and no active players (as of 2011) have their two longest career hit streaks even add up to 56 games. The improbability of DiMaggio's hit streak being ever broken has been attributed to the increase use of the bullpen and specialist relievers. Former major leaguer Robin Ventura
, who set the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I record of hitting in 58 consecutive games, does not believe DiMaggio's record will be broken. "With pitching the way it is—specialty guys, closer and setup guys—you’re not going to have a chance to get four at-bats against one guy," Ventura said. "On one night, you might face four different guys. I'm still amazed DiMaggio got to 56. I’m amazed now when somebody gets to 30."
, who had a streak of 502 fewer games at 2,130. Third on the all-time list is Everett Scott
, whose streak of 1,307 consecutive games is less than half of Ripken's total. Only seven players have ever played more than 1,000 consecutive games. For a player to approach the milestone, he would have to play all 162 games in a season for 16 years just to get to 2,592 games. As of September 7, 2011, the closest active player is Matt Kemp
with 345 consecutive games played. As stated by LIFE
, "no one else has ever come close, and no one ever will."
, 1979–2003. Highlights include: three 100-stolen-base seasons, thirteen 50-stolen-base seasons, and leading the league in stolen bases 12 times. The next closest player is Lou Brock
, who has 468 fewer stolen bases at 938. According to LIFE
, the stolen base record is probably unbreakable, as it is hard to imagine a player today "even attempt so many steals." For a player to approach Henderson's milestone, he would have to average 70 stolen bases over 20 seasons just to get to 1,400. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leader in stolen bases finished each year with an average of 64. The closest active player is Juan Pierre
with 554 stolen bases.
and Ivan Rodriguez
(14 games each after 18 and 21 seasons, respectively).
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
records are generally considered by many to be extremely unlikely to ever be broken again. It is compiled from various sources including sports writers, players, and fans. Many of these were initially set by either freak occurrences of greatness or during the early decades of baseball when certain rules, techniques and fundamentals were in place that have since drastically evolved over time, making it almost impossible to replicate such feats in today's game.
Pitching records
Most career wins – 511
Set by Cy YoungCy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
, 1890–1911. Highlights include: five 30-win seasons and fifteen 20-win seasons. The next closest player is Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
, with 94 fewer wins at 417; he was the only other player to have reached 400. The most wins by a pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
is Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
's 363.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 25 wins in 20 seasons just to get to 500. In the past 33 years, only two pitchers (Ron Guidry
Ron Guidry
Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
in 1978 and Steve Stone
Steve Stone
Steve Stone is the name of:*Steve Stone , American baseball player and broadcaster*Steve Stone , former English football player*Steve Stone , retired Canadian ice hockey player...
in 1980) have had one season with 25 wins. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leader finished each year with an average 21. The closest active player is year old Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
with 267 wins.
Most wins in a season – 59
Set by Old Hoss Radbourn, in 1884. Most pitchers in today's game start 30 to 35 games per season, and thus, do not start nearly enough games to break the record. In 2011, the most games started in the season was 34 (tied between 8 pitchers). This means that even if a pitcher were to win every game started in this scenario, he would still fall 25 wins short of tying Radbourn's record.Most career complete games – 749
Set by Cy YoungCy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
, 1890–1911. Highlights of this record include: nine 40-complete-game seasons, eighteen 30-complete-game seasons and completing 92 percent of his total career starts (815). The next closest player is Pud Galvin
Pud Galvin
James Francis Galvin , nicknamed "Pud", "Gentle Jeems", and "The Little Steam Engine", was an American National Association and Major League Baseball pitcher. He was Major League Baseball's first 300-game winner...
, who has 103 fewer complete games at 646. Among pitchers whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, the most is 382 by Warren Spahn.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 30 complete games over 25 seasons to get to 750. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leaders in complete games averaged 8 per season. The closest active player is Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
with 66 complete games.
Most career shutouts – 110
Set by Walter JohnsonWalter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
, 1907–1927. Highlights include: eleven 6-shutout seasons and leading the league in shutouts 7 times. The next closest player is Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
, who has 20 fewer shutouts at 90. As is the case for career wins and complete games, Warren Spahn holds the record among pitchers whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, with 63.
For a player to tie Johnson's record, he would have to pitch 5 shutouts every season for 22 years. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in shutouts finished each year with an average of 4. The closest active player is Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, with 20.
Most consecutive no-hitters – 2
Set by Johnny Vander Meer on June 11 and 15, 1938. Ironically, he finished with a 119–121 win–loss record. The prospect of a pitcher breaking this record by hurling three consecutive no-hitters is unimaginable that LIFELife (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
described this as "the most unbreakable of all baseball records." Between 2000 and 2009 there were 20 no-hitters pitched.
Most career no hitters – 7
Set by Nolan RyanNolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, 1966–1993. Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
is second with 4 no hitters. No other pitcher has tossed more than three no hitters. Between 2000 and 2009 there were 20 no hitters. Only 30 pitchers have thrown 2 or more no-hitters, and of the 19 active pitchers that have thrown a no-hitter, only 3 have pitched more than one (Mark Buehrle
Mark Buehrle
Mark Alan Buehrle is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He has pitched his entire baseball career for the Chicago White Sox, starting the opening game every season from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011....
, Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
have each pitched two no hitters).
Most career strikeouts – 5,714
Set by Nolan RyanNolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, 1966–1993. Highlights include: six 300-strikeout seasons, fifteen 200-strikeout seasons, and leading the league in strikeouts 11 times. To accomplish this record, Ryan played the most seasons (27) in MLB history.
The next closest player is Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
, who has 839 fewer strikeouts at 4,875. Johnson is also the last pitcher to have a 300 strikeout season (achieving this four consecutive seasons from 1999–2002). For a player to approach this, he would have to average 225 strikeouts over 25 seasons just to get to 5,625. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in strikeouts finished each year with an average of 287. The closest active player is Javier Vázquez
Javier Vázquez
Javier Carlos Vázquez is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Previously, he pitched for the Florida Marlins , Atlanta Braves , Chicago White Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , New York Yankees and Montreal Expos . Vázquez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, with 2,536 strikeouts.
Most career base on balls – 2,795
Set by Nolan RyanNolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, 1966–1993. Ryan ended up walking 50 percent more hitters than any other pitcher in history. The next closest is Steve Carlton with 1,833.
Most career saves – 603
Set by Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
, 1995–present. Highlights include 15 consecutive seasons with 25 or more saves, 9 consecutive seasons with 30 or more saves (both records), and 14 seasons with 30 or more saves (tied with Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
).
For a player to reach Rivera's record, they would have to earn an average of 35 saves for 17 consecutive seasons just to get to 595 saves or 40 saves for 15 consecutive years to reach 600. , the closest active player was 36-year old Francisco Cordero
Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds...
, who has 323 saves and is 279 saves behind.
Most career hits – 4,256
Set by Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
, 1963–1986. The closest active player, as of July 24, 2011, is Derek Jeter, with 3,015, at the age of 37. To get within 6 hits of tying Rose, a player would have collect 250 hits over 17 consecutive seasons, or more than 200 hits over the course of 21 seasons. In the past 81 years, only Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
has topped 250 hits in a season (with 262 hits in 2004). As of July 28, 2011, Ichiro has 2,361 major league hits and 1,278 hits in the Japanese major leagues for a combined, unofficial total of 3,639 while Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
is the MLB leader with 3,088 through September 30, 2011.
Most career triples – 309
Set by Sam CrawfordSam Crawford
Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
, 1899–1916. Highlights include: five 20-triple seasons and sixteen 10-triple seasons. The next closest player is Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, who has 14 fewer triples at 295. Because of changes in playing styles and conditions that began around 1920 and have continued into the present from the dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
to the live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
, the number of triples hit has declined noticeably since then. Among hitters whose entire careers were in the live-ball era, the leader in career triples is Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
, with 177.
For a player to accomplish this, he would have to average 15 triples over 20 seasons just to get to 300. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in triples finished each year with an average of 17. The closest active player is Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
, with 112.
Highest career batting average – .366
Set by Ty CobbTy Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
in 1928 after beginning his career in 1905. Highlights of this record include; three .400 seasons, nine .380 seasons, leading the league 11 times in batting average. Cobb managed to hit .323 in his final season at age 41. The next closest player is Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
who had a batting average of .358. There are only 3 players with a career average over .350. Since 1928, there have been only 46 seasons in which a hitter reached .366 and only Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
attained that mark at least four times, finishing with a career .338 batting average. Between 2000 and 2009 the Major League leader in batting average finished each year with an average .360. The active player with the highest batting average is Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
at .328.
Longest hitting streak – 56 games
Set by Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, 1941. Highlights include a .404 batting average and 91 hits. The next closest player is Willie Keeler
Willie Keeler
William Henry Keeler in Brooklyn, New York, nicknamed "Wee Willie", was a right fielder in professional baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders in the American League.- Biography :Keeler's...
who had a streak of 11 fewer games at 45 over 2 seasons. There have been only six 40-game hitting streaks, the most recent one occurring in 1978, when Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
hit in 44 straight games. This also marked the only time since 1941 that a player has reached a 40-game hitting streak. Since 1900, no player other than DiMaggio has ever hit for 55 of 56 games and no active players (as of 2011) have their two longest career hit streaks even add up to 56 games. The improbability of DiMaggio's hit streak being ever broken has been attributed to the increase use of the bullpen and specialist relievers. Former major leaguer Robin Ventura
Robin Ventura
Robin Mark Ventura is the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a former professional baseball player, a third baseman who played for four major league teams, most notably for the Chicago White Sox...
, who set the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I record of hitting in 58 consecutive games, does not believe DiMaggio's record will be broken. "With pitching the way it is—specialty guys, closer and setup guys—you’re not going to have a chance to get four at-bats against one guy," Ventura said. "On one night, you might face four different guys. I'm still amazed DiMaggio got to 56. I’m amazed now when somebody gets to 30."
Most consecutive games played – 2,632
Set by Cal Ripken Jr., 1982–1998. The next closest player is Lou GehrigLou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, who had a streak of 502 fewer games at 2,130. Third on the all-time list is Everett Scott
Everett Scott
Lewis Everett Scott , nicknamed "Deacon", was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for 12 seasons with the Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds . Scott batted and threw right-handed...
, whose streak of 1,307 consecutive games is less than half of Ripken's total. Only seven players have ever played more than 1,000 consecutive games. For a player to approach the milestone, he would have to play all 162 games in a season for 16 years just to get to 2,592 games. As of September 7, 2011, the closest active player is Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut in 2006...
with 345 consecutive games played. As stated by LIFE
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, "no one else has ever come close, and no one ever will."
Most career stolen bases – 1,406
Set by Rickey HendersonRickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
, 1979–2003. Highlights include: three 100-stolen-base seasons, thirteen 50-stolen-base seasons, and leading the league in stolen bases 12 times. The next closest player is Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
, who has 468 fewer stolen bases at 938. According to LIFE
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, the stolen base record is probably unbreakable, as it is hard to imagine a player today "even attempt so many steals." For a player to approach Henderson's milestone, he would have to average 70 stolen bases over 20 seasons just to get to 1,400. Between 2000 and 2009, the Major League leader in stolen bases finished each year with an average of 64. The closest active player is Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed....
with 554 stolen bases.
Most All-Star Games – 25
Set by Hank Aaron, 1954–1976. Aaron was an All-Star in all but two of the 23 seasons he played in the major leagues (his debut year in 1954 and last season in 1976), assisted by the MLB's decision to hold two All-Star Games from 1959–1962. Since 1976, only Rickey Henderson has played 25 seasons in the MLB, appearing in 10 Midsummer Classic rosters. The active players with the most All-Star Game selections are Alex RodriguezAlex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
(14 games each after 18 and 21 seasons, respectively).
External links
- Marks That Will Never Be Broken by Baseball AlmanacBaseball AlmanacBaseball Almanac is an interactive baseball encyclopedia with 3,000 pages of baseball facts, research, awards, records, feats, lists, notable quotations, baseball movie ratings, and statistics. Its goal is to preserve the history of baseball....