Baseball records that will not be broken anytime soon...

By Mike Rizzuto
Sun Times-Journal Editor

It’s been said that “records are made to be broken”. While that is pure speculation, here are a few baseball records that will definitely stand for a very long time and may never be broken.

--Most career wins - 511; By Cy Young from 1890-1911. Young had five 30-win seasons and fifteen 20-win seasons. The next closest player is Walter Johnson, who has 94 fewer wins than Young at 417. To get close to Young, a pitcher would have to average 20 wins over 25 seasons just to get to 500!

--Most career complete games - 749; This was also set by Cy Young. The next closest player is Pud Galvin at 646. For a player to accomplish this, they would have to average 30 complete games over 25 seasons to get to 750. Between 2000 and 2009 the leader finished each year with an average 8. The closest active player is Roy Halladay with 50 complete games.

--Most career shutouts - 110; This record was set by Walter Johnson in who pitched from 1907-1927. The “Big Train” had eleven 6-shutout seasons and led the league in shutouts 7 times. The next closest player is Grover Cleveland Alexander with 90. For a player to accomplish this, they would have to average 4 shutouts over 25 seasons just to get to 100. Between 2000 and 2009 the leader finished with an average 4. The closest active player is Roy Halladay with 15 shutouts.

--Most consecutive no hitters - 2; This record was set by Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, 1938 after pitching his first on June 11. Between 2000 and 2009 there were 15 no hitters pitched, but no one has come close to getting two in a row.

--Most career strikeouts - 5,714; Record held by Nolan Ryan in 1966-1993. The “Ryan Express” compiled six 300 strikeout seasons, fifteen 200 strikeout seasons, and led the league in strikeouts 11 times. The next closest player is Randy Johnson at 4,875. For a player to accomplish this, they would have to average 225 strikeouts over 25 seasons just to get to 5,625. Between 2000 and 2009 the leader in strikeouts finished each year with an average 287.

--Most career triples - 309; Record held by “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, who played from 1899-1916. Crawford, a catcher, had five 20-triple seasons and sixteen 10-triple seasons. The next closest player is Ty Cobb who has 295. To match Cobb, one 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 17. The closest active player is Jimmy Rollins with 96 triples.

--Highest career batting average - .366; Held by the immortal “Georgia Peach,” Ty Cobb, who played from 1905-1928. Cobb had three .400 seasons, nine .380 seasons, and led the league 11 times in batting average. The next closest player is Rogers Hornsby who had a batting average of .358. The active player with the highest batting average is Albert Pujols at .334.

--Longest hitting streak - 56 games; Set by the “Yankee Clipper,” Joe DiMaggio in 1941. “Joltin’ Joe’s” streak included a .404 batting average and 91 hits. The next closest player is “Wee” Willie Keeler who had 45 over two seasons. There have only been six 40 game hitting streaks ever with the most recent being in 1978 when Pete Rose had 44.

And finally,
--Most consecutive games played - 2,632; Held by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1998 after starting it in 1982. The next closest player is Lou Gehrig at 2,130. To match Ripken, a player would have to play all 162 games in a season for 16 years just to get to 2,592 games. No active player has even 300 consecutive games played.