Unbreakable Records?

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Posted By: Gary B.

I still maintain that a lot of these records are beatable for 2 main reasons:

1. Someone did it once
2. There are too many previously "unbeatable" records that have been broken again and again. This can't be stressed enough. Who on earth thought someone could beat Cobb's hit record, or McGwire's home run record (not to mention Ruth when he had it or Maris when he had it), or Brock's stolen base record (not to mention Cobb when he had it) or Ruth's walks record (single season and career) or slugging percentage (single season) or William's single-season on-base percentage record, etc., etc.? These were UNBEATABLE records that have fallen by the wayside.

The major exception again being ones that are impossible due to changes in the game like wins, complete games, etc. - these pitching records are untouchable. They're so untouchable that maybe new categories should be created. Most wins in a 5-man pitching rotation, most complete games since the advent and prevelance of relief pitching, etc. After all, most of the records we consider records are in the "modern era," and the stats from the 19th century in these incidents aren't counted, at least not by most - it depends on what lists you look on.

I agree that the Ryan one would be REALLY tough with the advent of the middle relief and closers. That would be especially difficult in this day and age, however some of the ones mentioned are breakable:

Pete Rose's 4,256
Rickey Henderson's 1406
Rickey Henderson's 130
even Williams' on-base percentage and the triples records.

I'm not saying it would be easy for these to be beaten, or that it's even likely, but if someone did it before, and the game hasn't changed to the extent that it's no longer physically possible, then I say it could happen. Even a record like Henderson's where it seems ridiculously out of reach (average of 70 stolen bases over 20 years!) - well, he did it, so whose to say another like him couldn't appear one day? Bonds single season walks after he's done this season? Unlikely, but possible. Just get another person with incredible discipline that has such respect that people rarely pitch to him, and it could happen. Gange's consecutive saves? This didn't happen in another era where the rules have changed. The streak ended just like a week ago.

I would say there are really realtively few unbreakable records.