>>>>This is really interesting. There are more than a couple of records here of which I was unaware:
>>>>
>>>>
http://www.life.com/image/75889081/in-gallery/33512/unbreakable-baseball-records>>>
>>>It's always a pleasure to see Rickey Henderson ;-) His stolen bases record probably will not be broken, but what a jerk.
>>>
>>>Ty Cobb's .367 -- pretty far out there. I think Ted Williams was the best hitter ever, power taken into account, but Cobb had the average. (Another jerk of the first order).
>>
>>I agree about Williams, but jeez! .367 Lifetime???
>>
>>>Nolan Ryan's K's and no hitters -- probably unapproachable. I remember him as a wild, unreliable 5th starter on one of the coolest teams of all time, the 1969 Mets. Who knew?
>>
>>>Hank Aaron 17 straight 150 hit seasons -- easily breakable. All it takes is longevity.
>>
>>>(Number of times injected in the butt -- Barry Bonds broke that one along with Aaron's HR record).
>>>
>>>110 shutouts -- out of reach.
>>>
>>>Pete Rose's lifetime hits -- probably out of reach.
>>>
>>>(picking and choosing now)
>>>
>>>Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA will probably not be broken, partly due to rule changes. It was known as the year of the pitcher.
>>>
>>>Joe D's 56 game hitting streak -- will be broken. (You probably know he was robbed two or three times the game it was snapped, then hit in 23 more straight games).
>>
>>You think so? Personally, I can't see this one falling. A big deal these days is 25 games in a row.
>>
>>>Barry Bonds' 73 homers in a season -- please don't even bring this up. It was as straight as a dog's hind leg.
>>
>>Don't look at me. I didn't put the list together. ;)
>>
>>>Yankees' 5 straight World Series wins -- will be broken. It becomes increasingly likely as the rich teams sign the best players. It's not a level playing field.
>>
>>>Ichiro's 200 hit streak -- interesting question. It wouldn't shock me but it's quite an achievement. (But has he ever been an MVP as a singles hitter?)
>>
>>>.424 -- probably not. The wear and tear of more games, more travel, and relief specialists work against it.
>>
>>>Cy Young's 511 wins -- out of sight. (Only #4 on the list?)
>>
>>Amazing eh?
>>
>>>Connie Mack -- probably not. No manager will ever remain employed for 50 years again. It was a different era.
>>
>>>Cal Ripken consecutive games played -- another longevity record. It could happen.
>>
>>That's a hell of a lot of games. I'm not so sure.
>>
>>>Back to back no-nos -- will happen. All it takes is a dominant week. Mark Buehrle came close to doing it this year. (And that over the fence catch by the substitute outfielder in the 9th was the most exciting play of this season, and most others).
>>
>>Ain't gonna happen. Remember, to break that record you need
3 no-nos in a row.
>>
>>>You gotta love the old ballgame.
>>
>>Most beautiful game in the world.
>
>I happen to side with soccer but you can make that argument. It is a game full of nuances.
>
>I misunderstood the point about Johnny Vander Meer. I took it as back 2 no hitters in a row, not 3. That probably will not happen. Part of the beauty of baseball is he was a pedestrian pitcher. You just never know.
>
>Ty Cobb's .367 career average is awesome but please consider that Teddy Ballgame had an average of .344 in a tougher era. He would have broken the home run record if not for giving up several seasons in the heart of his career fighting in WWII and the Korean War. He was a Marine, a fighter pilot. As he put it himself, the best f*****g hitter in the American f*****g league <g>. He had 20-10 vision and reputedly could see the spin on the ball.
Yeah. He once said that he really did respect umpires because the good ones could see strikes and balls within a half inch. He said the only problem was the he could see them within a quarter inch. He was the reason why I was a Boston fan when I was a kid. I'd still be a Boston fan if Toronto didn't have a team.
Umpteen years ago (give or take a couple), SI showed a chart he'd made up showing the strike zone with concentric squares in different colours indicating what his batting average would be given pitches in each zone. I mean, jeez! Who else would have come up with such a thing? I agree with you entirely. Ted was the best hitter that ever was. He had the ability to hit just about any pitch, and the power to hit it far. According to Williams himself,
"I could be called one of the greatest hitters -- no question. The best? I don’t really believe that. In my heart, I can’t say and believe that I was any better than Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb.
Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle -- those guys were the greatest. They could do everything. DiMaggio’s the greatest player I ever saw."As good as they were, he was, of course, incorrect.
If you'd like a really fun read, then here's his 1941 season:
http://tedwilliams.com/index.php?page=1941s&level=1>I am surprised Nolan Ryan's 7 no hitters did not make the list. Or his 383 strikeouts in a season. These days 100 fewer will lead the league.
