Thursday night MLB Productions is unveiling a new show on ESPN called "Holiday Inn Presents: Unbreakable Records MLB 2008."
The show is based on a recent poll of 150 major league players who were asked to select three baseball feats that most impress them.
Count on the following no-brainers making the top 10: Cal Ripken’s games played, Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak, Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA and Ted Williams' .406 batting average.
I would not call any of those marks unbreakable, although they all will be difficult to surpass. The truly unbreakable records are the ones set under circumstances that no longer exist, such as Cy Young's 511 career victories and Jack Chesbro's modern-record 41 wins in 1904 alone.
Poor Chesbro still ended up being a goat among New York's American League fans, because his wild pitch on a spitball on the final day of the season allowed Boston's AL squad to beat out the Highlanders for the pennant. (Some who were there swore it should have been scored a passed ball. But I digress.)
Comments (5)
I don't understand why Ted Williams .406 BA would be listed. It's not an unbreakable record, mainly due to the fact that it's not a record.
Fair point. I guess they mean feats, not only records. I will clarify the wording.
didn't johnny vander meer have consecutive no-hitters. to "break" that a pitcher would have to have three consecutive no-hitters.
i think it's a fair assumption to suggest that won't be surpassed.
You're right, Jimmy. that's a good one!
Cy Young will always be the only pitcher with 500 wins to never win a Cy Young Award.
A record, or feat, that will certainly stand the test of time.