Sports Records That May Never Be Broken
By Brooke Brottman
Is it possible we'll reach a day when a world record will stand forever? Year after year, professional athletes not only compete to win the championship but to make history and be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. While some records are obtainable, these records will most likely stand forever. They say records are meant to be broken, but it is hard to see anyone shattering these 15 any time soon.
15. Michael Phelps’ 23 Olympic Gold Medals
(Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated)
There isn’t a more decorated Olympian than Michael Phelps, the owner of 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which are gold. Known as the “Flying Fish,” Phelps made his Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where the 15-year-old Phelps placed fifth in the 200-meter butterfly, his signature event. Four years later, Phelps won six gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps took home eight gold medals, and four years later at the 2012 London games, Phelps brought home another four golds. In his final Olympics, in the 2016 Rio games, Phelps won five golds, bringing his gold medal count to 23. This is an unbreakable record because the Olympics are only once every four years. For an athlete to approach Phelps' mark, he or she has to compete in most likely at least three Olympic Games.
14. Hack Wilson’s 191 RBI Single Season Record
(SABR.org)
Hack Wilson played 12 seasons as a centerfielder for the New York Giants (San Francisco), Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Philadelphia Phillies. He was one of the most accomplished all-around players in the game during the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, it was at the plate where Wilson established his legacy. Wilson had one of the greatest seasons in big league history in 1930. He totaled 191 RBI which is the all-time major league single-season record that will never be broken. Wilson’s RBI total puts him ahead of fellow Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig (who had 185 in 1931), Hank Greenberg (with 184 in 1937), and Jimmie Foxx (who had 175 in 1938). No player has gotten within 15 RBI of his mark since Foxx in 1938. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979.
13. Rickey Henderson’s 1,406 stolen bases
(Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Nicknamed the “Man of Steel,” Rickey Henderson, by the widest of margins, is MLB’s all-time stolen base leader. Henderson set numerous records while playing and is often considered the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. He played for nine teams over his 25-year career including the Athletics, Yankees, Padres, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Mariners, and Blue Jays. Henderson holds records for career stolen bases, runs, walks, and leadoff home runs, but his base-stealing record is his greatest accomplishment. In 1991, Henderson stole his 939th base, passing the great Lou Brock for most all-time, and he was just getting started. Henderson would play into the 2000s and obtain an extraordinary 1,406 steals, nearly double Brock’s previous record of 938. To go along with his 1,406 steals, Rickey Henderson is also second for most stolen bags in a single season with 130 behind Hugh Nicol with 138. Henderson also has the record for most career runs scored, at 2,295. Henderson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
12. Pete Rose – 4,256 career hits
(Rich Pilling MLB Photos/Getty Images)
With 24 years played, Pete Rose holds the record for the most MLB records. One of these which is hard to see being topped is his number of career hits, which is 4,256. He leads the 3,000 hit club by a big margin, which is saying something, considering the illustrious group of batters. Ty Cobb follows with 4,191. The longevity and consistency of a Pete Rose is no longer found in baseball, and it would require a batter to record 200 hits each season over 21 years to even trouble Rose’s amazing record. A few of his other records include career games played, career winning games played, career at bats, career singles, career outs, runs by a switch hitter, and many, many more.
11. Walter Johnson Throws 110 Career Shutouts
(The Starting Nine)
What Cy Young and Walter Johnson did on the mound cannot be discredited, despite pitching in a different era. Johnson was a power pitcher, facing more than 3,500 batters during his 21-year career with the Washington Senators (Texas Rangers), and throwing an unremarkable 110 shutouts. The righty was the lone member of the 3,000-strikeout club for over 50 years until Bob Gibson joined the club in 1974. Johnson led the league in strikeouts a Major League-record 12 times. Pitchers Roger Clemens (46 shutouts), Randy Johnson (37), and Greg Maddux (35) are the only recent pitchers in the all-time top 100 career shutout list. Johnson is also second on the all-time win list, with 417 behind Young. His 110 shutouts is truly an unbreakable record.
10. Nolan Ryan's Career Strikeout Record
(Howard Castleberry/Houston Chronicle)
During a major-league record 27-year baseball career, Nolan Ryan built a Hall of Fame career. Ryan had 5,714 strikeouts for his career. It also helps when you can throw the ball over 100 mph. He also has seven career no-hitters, another major league record that is unlikely to be broken. Over that span of four decades and 27 seasons, he pitched the New York Mets, the California Angels, The Houston Astros, and the Texas Rangers. In the heart of his career in 1979, Ryan became the first MLB player to earn a million dollars a year when he signed a four-year, $4.5 million contract as a free agent with the Houston Astros. It was four times more than he had been earning with the Angels and it made him the highest-paid player in MLB history. The reason Ryan's record will never be broken is that nobody is even close. Randy Johnson is second on the list with 4,875, and he is retired. Ryan's strikeout mark will stand the test of time, but no one even comes close to compete with his number.
9. John Stockton's 15,806 Career Assists
(www.sportskeeda.com)
The Utah Jazz selected Stockton with the 16th pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, hoping the Gonzaga Bulldog could have a productive NBA career. Well, he certainly did. Stockton played the entirety of his 19-year career in Utah, never missing the playoffs while establishing numerous records. Legendary Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton makes this records list, with his 15,806 career assists (10.5 assists per game). This 10-time NBA All-Star led the league in assists nine times from 1987-1996. The next closest players to Stockton are Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, and both are still more than 3,000 assists away. John Stockton may go down as the greatest passer to never win a ring. Stockton goes down as one of the greatest point guards of all time, and his record most likely will never be broken.
8. Bob Gibson Pitches to a 1.12 ERA in 1968
(Associated Press)
It is hard to fathom just how dominant Bob Gibson was in 1968. 1968 became known as "The Year of the Pitcher," and Gibson was the best of the best. His earned run average was 1.12, and threw 13 shutouts that season, and pitched 47 consecutive scoreless innings. Opposing batters had a batting average of .184 against Gibson that season. During the postseason, Gibson recorded 17 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers during Game 1 of the 1968 World Series, another record that still stands today. Gibson's season was so dominant that Major League Baseball decided to lower the pitcher's mound by five inches the following season, as well as altering the strike zone. Gibson remains one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He was a nine-time All-Star selection, he accumulated 3,117 strikeouts during his career, won two Cy Young Awards, was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1968, and won two World Series. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 in his first year of eligibility.
7. Cal Ripken Jr. – 2,632 Consecutive Games Played
(John Makely/The Baltimore Sun)
There is a lot to be said for scoring records and consecutive titles, but consecutive games played is a category that should not be overlooked. These record holders are complete “Iron Men” who do not let anything stop them from performing. The MLB’s greatest “Iron Man” is Cal Ripken Jr., who played in 2,632 consecutive games which were spread out over 16 years (1982 to 1998). 2,362 games is a good amount for a player to play over his entire career, let alone consecutively. These days, players sit out for all kinds of reasons, but Ripken would suit up every game regardless of any small injuries or any other reason. You do not get the nickname "The Iron Man" for nothing. From May 30, 1982, until Sept. 19, 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. never missed a game. Ripken passed New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig of 2,130 in 1995, and he did not stop there. Only six players other than Ripken in MLB history have played in more than 1,000 consecutive games. Ripken is The Iron Man indeed.
6. Boston Celtics – Eight Consecutive NBA Titles
(NBA.com)
Today, two or three championships in a row are called a dynasty. Not for the Boston Celtics.
From 1959-66, the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA. It helps when you have the talent that those teams had though. Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, and Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics began the greatest dynasty in the history of professional sports. Of those eight consecutive championships, five came against the Los Angeles Lakers, still one of their biggest rivals today. This record will never be broken. Since the Celtics' run of eight in a row, there have been only three three-peats. The Chicago Bulls did it twice in the ‘90s and the Lakers did it once from 2000-02. It is a record that will never be approached in any sport. The word “dynasty” gets thrown around too much in sports. A team is certainly not a dynasty if they win two or three consecutive titles. The 1960’s Boston Celtics, however, were the definition of a dynasty. With competition so even now, it is hard to see one team being as dominant for so long ever again.
5. Jerry Rice – 1,549 Career Receptions and 22,895 Career Receiving Yards
(USA TODAY Sports)
Wide Receiver Jerry Rice is an all-time leader in several categories. One of his records which seems very unlikely to be surpassed is career receptions, which is 1,549. Throughout a very successful 20 season career, Rice proved himself to be an unstoppable force and continued to increase his receptions even in the latter stages of his career. Rice had 1,549 total receptions along with 22,895 total receiving yards and 197 touchdown passes. This is just one of many NFL records that Jerry Rice holds, and it is hard to see anyone challenging this particular record or any of his others. Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest wide receiver ever to play in the NFL. Rice's numbers speak for themselves. Rice is the all-time NFL leader with 207 touchdowns (this includes rushing touchdowns). He was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times and named All-Pro 12 times in his 20 NFL seasons. He won three Super Bowl rings playing for the San Francisco 49ers. The record though that will never be broken is Rice's 22,895 career receiving yards. The mark is almost 7,000 yards ahead of his former 49ers teammate Terrell Owens. Rice's legacy speaks for itself, and most of his records will never be broken.
4. Joe DiMaggio – 56 Game Hit Streak
(Bettmann Archive/Bettmann)
He may not be the greatest player of all-time, but his incredible record is likely to stand the test of time. Back in 1941, the New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio made history by getting at least one base hit in 56 consecutive games. Over this period, DiMaggio hit an average of .408. Since the millennial era, nobody has come even close to toppling DiMaggio’s record and the closest has been Jimmy Rollins in 2005/06 with 38 for the Philadelphia Phillies. It has been 75 years and this amazing record remains unapproachable and it is one that is very likely to last forever. For this record to be topped, a player will have no room for error and will need to be at the top of their game at every ballgame for them to surpass this record.
3. Wayne Gretzky – 2,857 Career Points
(nhl.com)
Wayne Gretzky's career is one of the best in all of sports, and this is evident as he held 61 records upon retiring in 1999. Gretzky is nicknamed “The Great One” and one of his records which will never be topped is his career points, which is 2,857. In second place stands Mark Messier with 1887, which is nearly 1,000 shy of Gretzky’s total. Gretzky averaged 1.92 points per game throughout his career while winning nine league MVP awards. In his 1985-86 season, Gretzky scored an unremarkable 215 points. Gretzky had 1,963 career assists, which equals more total points than any other player has accumulated in the history of the game. If any player is to beat Gretzky, they will need to average 140 points over 20 seasons.
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 100 Points in a Single Game
(Paul Vathis/AP Images)
Wilt Chamberlain holds a few NBA records which are unbreakable, and this is a testament to his dominance during his era. The most notable record is scoring 100 points in a single game (before the 3 point line was introduced). The closest anyone else has come to reaching this is Kobe Bryant, with an incredible 81 point performance. That was still an entire 19 points shy of Wilt Chamberlain. On March 2, 1962,Chamberlain scored 100 points in the PhiladelphiaWarriors' (Golden State) 169-147 win over the New York Knicks. A handful of players make 50 points every season, and occasionally the 60 points (Michael Jordan managed this six times). However, these players do not even come close to Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged over 50 PPG one season.
1. Cy Young – 749 complete games and 511 wins
This remarkable record is one that will never be toppled, and it is largely due to changes in the sport of baseball. Cy Young pitched in an era where pitchers would pitch every other day and throw entire games regularly. This resulted in an incredible record where he completed 749 games and won 511. Over the course of his 22 season career (1890 – 1911), Cy Young set many other records which include most career innings pitched, most career games started, and also the most losses in MLB history, which just goes to show how often he played compared to today’s pitchers. Pitchers now throw every fifth day and have the entire bullpen to share the load with. He debuted in 1890 for the Cleveland Spiders (Cleveland Indians), and Young retired in 1911 for the Boston Rustlers (Atlanta Braves). Young’s name now bears the award given annually to the top pitcher in the National League and the American League. Pitchers today get nowhere close to Young, and there is a very good reason as to why the best ace every season receives the Cy Young Award.
Not all records are meant to be broken. Rules are different, styles evolve and the game in which records were set no longer exists. From game and season records to multi-season and career marks, some amazing records could be matched one day, but matching a record is not breaking it. Such records are deemed impossible to break or surpass, and many feel they will stand the test of time. Therefore, these unbreakable records have transformed these players into immortal legends.
You can follow Brooke on Twitter @Brottman_10
