Sports record

[D. Scarlatti]

After reading some of the Barry Bonds thread, I decided to post a little quiz here. I'm thinking of a certain big league sports record that will never be beaten, nor even equalled, nor even come close to being equalled. Can you guess what it is?

Hint: Clutch Munny is prohibited from participating.

[BDS]

BDS holds his College's records for goals, assists, and points in ice hockey. They will never be broken, because my College has dropped hockey as a varsity sport. (I suppose they could pick it up again, though.)

I’m sure you have something in mind, but some records unlikely to be broken include:

Owen Wilson’s 36 triples in one season (I believe second place is 27. and nobody has hit more than 21 or 22 in 80 years.) Of course the record could be broken, if (for example) some team moves its outfield fences way back.

Cy Young’s 509 wins. Pitchers don’t pitch enough innings, these days. The most victories in the lively ball era (since 1920) is 363 by Warren Spahn.

I’m betting you Canadian types are thinking of some hockey record, though, from back in the days when there were seven players on a team, and Montreal were the “Silver Seven” or “The Maroons”.

Of course there are some records that CANNOT be broken, but can only be equaled. Like a “perfect game” in baseball.

How about a hint?

[D. Scarlatti]

I gave you a hint! But you're on the right track, it isn't a baseball record.

And it isn't a record that's been precluded from being broken by reorganization or rules changes or anything. Although it's possible it could be broken, it's definitely among the most improbable. I can think of a few other hints, but it seems every one would give it away.

eta: I should add that someone arguably "came close" to equalling the record within three years of the record itself, but that was achieved by one of the titans of the game, the likes of whom will never be seen again (he did not, however, toil for the Montreal Maroons).

[BDS]

Hmmm? Curling?

I have some nominations (although they're probably not what your are thinking of):

Wilt Chamberlain’s quadruple double double – 73 points and 43 rebounds in a game.

Fastest NHL hat trick -- Bill Mosienko -- 21 seconds

Most passenger pigeons shot in one day.

(By the way, I think it was the Quebec Silver Seven, wasn't it?)

[D. Scarlatti]

Fastest NHL hat trick -- Bill Mosienko -- 21 seconds.

You got it, Pontiac.

Jean Beliveau scored three in 44 seconds in 1955. Both Mosienko and Beliveau were assisted by the same teammates, so those are the fastest three assists as well.

The "Silver Seven" was the nickname of the original Ottawa Senators, I believe.

[TomJoe]

Hockey ... blergh. Is the season still going on?

[D. Scarlatti]

Dude, we're talking about frickin Jean Beliveau here, not the Orlando Mighty Geese or whatever the hell they're called.

http://www.sportscardshowscanada.com/images/image002.jpg

Old time hockey, baby. Original Six.

[Shake]

Cy Young’s 509 wins. Pitchers don’t pitch enough innings, these days. The most victories in the lively ball era (since 1920) is 363 by Warren Spahn.
They also didn't work out of a 5-man rotation, and many could pitch consecutive games if necessary. Pitching has seen some big changes. Complete games are much more of an aberration nowadays; everyone's worried about pitch counts. (not that some pitchers shouldn't be on a pitch count, mind you)

I was thinking of track & field. There's only been one man to break 20' (6.1m) in the pole vault, Sergei Bubka. No one's been close since. There've been a couple others over 6m, but when you get that high every little bit higher is a good deal more difficult. World records usually progress by 1 or 2cm at a time.

Also, I'd be willing to bet that Michael Johnson's 19.32 in the 200m will stand for a good long time. It'll be like Bob Beamon's long jump record which stood for about 30 years.

Hmm ... come to think of it, I think no one other than Javier Sotomayor has broken 8' in the high jump.

[BDS]

If you read old-time autobiographies of pitchers, they all talk about "saving your best stuff". That's because nobody (then or now) could pitch at maximum velicity for 400 innings a season. Because homeruns were so rare, pitchers could basically throw three-quarter speed unless there were runners in scoring position, and then throw all out.

Once the livelier ball was introduced in 1920, that was no longer an acceptable tactic, and the change in innings pitched followed rather quickly.

In track and field, Flo Jo’s 100 and 200 records (from 1988), Koch’s 400 record (from 1985) and Kratochvílová’s 800 record (from 1983) are the longest lived – and were doubtless all fueled by performance enhancing drugs. The oldest men’s record is Schult’s, in the discus (1985), which is probably a “dirty” record as well.

They'll fall -- once we develop some good, undetectable drugs,.

[D. Scarlatti]

No drug, detectable or otherwise, can make a man bulge the hemp, tickle the twine, and put it up in the top shelf where they keep the saltines all in 20 seconds.

[BDS]

Yep. That's a tough one to beat. I grew up in Chicago. Although Mosienko was well before my time, I had vaguely heard of his prodigiously rapid-fire scoring. I wonder how he got those last two goals so quickly.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

Record I don't think will be beaten for ages? DiMaggio's hit streak of 58 games. Ripkin's consecutive game record. Ryan's career K record.