All Time Unbreakable Baseball Record?

[MansGame]

I don’t think I’ve seen this pool yet on the new site and I thought it would be fun to see what everyone thought. I can only submit 10 records for the poll and I added an “other” vote in case you think of another record which is more unbreakable than the 9 I have on the poll.

I understand you can slice and dice this into various categories (i.e. unbreakable vs. toughest vs. most impressive vs. personal favorite) but I wanted to see what everyone thought was THE UNBREAKABLE All Time Baseball Record.

To keep it fun, pick your top three unbreakable baseball record of all time and then we can see what the consensus is for the top three all time.

Feel free to post your top three order and why. Hopefully this starts some good dialogue and debate from all of us on the board.

REMEMBER: VOTE FOR YOUR TOP THREE!

 

[MansGame]

Thought I'd vote first. I think Cy Young's 511 win's is #1 unbreakable, followed by DiMaggio's hit streak and then Ripken's streak...

 

[RL24]

Great idea! Here are my unbreakables:

Cy Young's 511 career wins
Ty Cobb's .367 career batting average
Rickey Henderson's career 1406 stolen bases
Rickey Henderson's single season 130 stolen bases
Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played streak

The game has just changed too much. Rickey's career total seems more difficult to accomplish than his single season record, if you ask me.


Unlikely, although it could happen any time:
Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak
Orel Hershiser's 59 consecutive scoreless innings



I think these WILL get beat eventually...
Barry Bond’s 762 career homeruns
Pete Rose's 4,256 career hits
Nolan Ryan's 5,714 career strikeouts

 

[katieneack]

I would say Cy Young's 511 wins as well. Pitchers went a lot more often than once every 5 games back then. You would have to pitch for 30 years to get that many wins now!! I think all of the other records are possibly breakable, although .367 career avg. would be 2nd for me, followed by Ripken's streak.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

For me, it's the pitching accumulation stats...Cy Young's wins, Ryan Ks, etc. simply because the era is so vastly different.

Even Ryan's single season strikeout record is all but locked up now that there are zero big-time K pitchers. In 2001, Randy Johnson struck out a staggering 13.4/9IP for a total of 372 Ks in only 249.2 innings. That was 11Ks shy of Nolan Ryan's record of 383 in 1973 with 326 innings, but statistically, which is more impressive? Johnson struck out a mere 11 less while pitching over 75 less innings. We haven't had a 300K season since 2002, and the most in a season by an active pitcher is Verlander's 269.

DiMaggio's hitting streak, while impressive, to me doesn't seem like a feat that is untouchable. Yeah, yeah, yeah...no one has been all that close, but at the end of the day it's in the statistics that it's possible for any .250 hitter.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

While Ripken's streak is impressive, a player doesn't have to play the entire game in order to get credit for playing (I think).

I think the game could change in any era - look at Bonds for example - but some records will be almost impossible to break even with changes in the way the game is played.

 

[LazerShow15]

WINS, CAL's STREAK, and HITS. With how much people make nowadays nobody will play long enough and they baby every injury because of the investment. Also think Rickey Henderson's and Joe's will never be broken.

 

[rum151man]

While Ripken's streak is impressive, a player doesn't have to play the entire game in order to get credit for playing (I think).

I think the game could change in any era - look at Bonds for example - but some records will be almost impossible to break even with changes in the way the game is played.

to play that long without missing a game is next to impossible, players these days always get days off,to have no major injuries for that length of time is not only amazing but very lucky as well.

I will go with
1. CY Young 511 career wins
2. ripkens game streak
3.cobbs career 367 batting av

 

[Frow]

I think a few of those have a shot at being broken even though it's a extreme long shot in a few cases (Rose, Henderson and Ryan). Some I think are actually unbreakable would be

Sam Crawford - 309 Triples (only player to every hit over 300 Triples, and only 7 have ever hit 200. The closest active player is Carl Crawford at 112)
Bill Fischer - Innings pitched without allowing a walk 84.1
Cy Young - Most Complete Games 749 (closest active player Roy Halladay with 66)

 

[boomo]

I think a few of those have a shot at being broken even though it's a extreme long shot in a few cases (Rose, Henderson and Ryan). Some I think are actually unbreakable would be

Sam Crawford - 309 Triples (only player to every hit over 300 Triples, and only 7 have ever hit 200. The closest active player is Carl Crawford at 112)
Bill Fischer - Innings pitched without allowing a walk 84.1
Cy Young - Most Complete Games 749 (closest active player Roy Halladay with 66)

vandemeers back to back no-no's, might get tied, but never broken.

 

[matfanofold]

I see 2 on that list that will never be broken, and one of them is because the game of baseball it'self has changed making it impossible. A few others may be unlikely, but a few are obtainable albiet still awesome.

 

[katieneack]

749 complete games - That is incredible!!

I think a few of those have a shot at being broken even though it's a extreme long shot in a few cases (Rose, Henderson and Ryan). Some I think are actually unbreakable would be

Sam Crawford - 309 Triples (only player to every hit over 300 Triples, and only 7 have ever hit 200. The closest active player is Carl Crawford at 112)
Bill Fischer - Innings pitched without allowing a walk 84.1
Cy Young - Most Complete Games 749 (closest active player Roy Halladay with 66)

 

[Anthony K.]

I went with, in order:

Ty Cobb's Career BA - I just don't think we ever see someone hit for over .340 for their career, much less over .360.
Nolan Ryan's Career Strikeouts - Pitchers just don't pitch as many innings and there just isn't anyone who strikes players out at a high enough rate, that can sustain it for a long enough time, to come close.
Rickey's Season Stolen Bases - Unless teams became more small ball oriented with the right player with the right speed, I don't think anyone will ever SNIFF his season total. The next time someone surpasses 100 in a season will blow my mind, because it just doesn't seem like today's players have the ability to steal that many bases.

 

[fkw]

top 2 are the 511 and .367, then Barry Bonds has a ton of records that will be tough to break...

ie
a homerun every 6.5 at bats over a season
73 HRs in a season
.863 slug%
.609 OB%
1.422 OPS in a season
232 walks in a season
575 career intentional walks (2nd place has less than 1/2 that, W.McCovey 260)
120 intentional walks in a season
7 MVPs
etc.
etc.

the guy hit the ball more solid more often that anyone ever! he once had 9 HRs early in the season and only swung and missed a pitch 8 times at that point.


PS. I didnt even consider the Ripken record. Its the only nonskill record on the list.... its all luck and bit of a gimmick (dads your mgr/coach, and peer pressure to leave him in or not rest the guy after he tweaks something), no talent involved

 

[George_Calfas]

I agree with most of these with the stolen base record as an exception. Something will click and stealing bases will be back, with the youth today some speed demon will break one or both of Rickey's records.

 

[fkw]

Sewell did them...

another couple truly unbreakable records

this guy below did them

1. over a single season (1932) he on average struck out only once every 192 times he went to bat. 3/576
2. over his career (14 yrs), he only struck out on average only once every 73 times he went to bat. 114/8333

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Bonds himself showed that records are not tough to break... with the proper chemical enhancements. Out of all the records listed in the poll, Bonds' HR record may be the easiest to break simply with better chemistry.

Ripken's streak may be the second easiest to break with some chemical help.

top 2 are the 511 and .367, then Barry Bonds has a ton of records that will be tough to break...

ie
a homerun every 6.5 at bats over a season
73 HRs in a season
.863 slug%
.609 OB%
1.422 OPS in a season
232 walks in a season
575 career intentional walks (2nd place has less than 1/2 that, W.McCovey 260)
120 intentional walks in a season
7 MVPs
etc.
etc.

the guy hit the ball more solid more often that anyone ever! he once had 9 HRs early in the season and only swung and missed a pitch 8 times at that point.


PS. I didnt even consider the Ripken record. Its the only nonskill record on the list.... its all luck and bit of a gimmic (dads your mgr/coach, and peer pressure to leave him in or not rest the guy after he tweeks something), no talent involved

 

[jbhofmann]

I know its purely projection but Aroldis Chapman could hold some insane K per Hit record by the end of this year. He is averaging 6K per hit given up. Best ratio ever before Chapman? Ed Cushman 4.7K/Hit allowed for the 1884 Milwaukee Brewers. Yep 1884.

BTW I chose 1 and only 1. Cy Young

 

[nborton]

I agree with most of these with the stolen base record as an exception. Something will click and stealing bases will be back, with the youth today some speed demon will break one or both of Rickey's records.

I agree. Although the stolen base record takes more than just speed. Henderson walked a ton. The year he stole 130 he was running 78% of the time. That's insane high.

As a comparison Bourn who has been the leader recently only runs 28% of the time.

Still it's an obtainable record compared to Cy Young's wins.

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

Just as unbreakable as his wins and CG records is Cy Young's 316 losses.