What Records In Sports Will Never Be Broken?
For nearly two weeks, the entire country has been fixated on Aaron Judge and his quest for 62 home runs in an attempt to break the American League single-season record (and nonsteroid-influenced record) set by Roger Maris. Maris, once a Yankee himself, set the mark in 1961, which stood as the MLB record until 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had their famous Home Run battle (which ultimately is tainted by Steroid use).
McGwire’s record of 70 home runs was broken just three years later by Barry Bonds, who hit an outrageous 73 homers in the 2001 season. Bonds’ records are considered illegitimate by many who speculate his numbers were inflated due to his admitted use of steroids. Some see Roger Maris’s mark as the American League record, and others see it as the “untainted” MLB home run record.
So, as Judge made history last night by hitting his 62nd home run of the season, it prompted the discussion of the most unbreakable records in all four major professional sports leagues. The milestones on this list are as close to untouchable as the day they were set, as nobody can compare them with these accomplishments. These records are in no specific order, each as difficult to achieve as the next:
1. The Ironmen:
With load management and injuries so frequent these days, Ironmen like Joe Thomas (10,623 Consecutive NFL Snaps at Offensive Line), A.C Green (1,192 Straight NBA Games Played) and Cal Ripken Jr. (2,623 Consecutive MLB Games Played) do not come around anymore, making these records for games played nearly untouchable. Cal Ripken’s streak is the longest in sports history but does not come without its close calls. Like when he broke his nose at the 1996 All-Star Game and played in the game as well as the Orioles’ next game two days later… A true Ironman.
2. Championship Rings
Bill Russell: 11 Titles with the Boston Celtics (1957, 1959-1966, 1968, 1969)
The NBA lost a legend this past July when Bill Russell passed away, but his record for winning eleven championships in his thirteen-year playing career will be around for a long time. The Celtics’ dominance from 1956 to 1966 allowed them to collect eight championships in a row, which will never happen again in any sport. Bill’s role as a player/coach was crucial for their last two titles with him in ‘68 & ‘69. Bill Russell’s number Six is being retired as his memory will live on forever as one of the best to ever play in the NBA and the record holder for most championship wins.
3. Career Points in the NHL
Wayne Gretsky: 2,857 Points
The “Great One” Wayne Gretsky stands alone at the top of the career points leaderboard, and it is not even close! Wayne is alone on the leaderboard and the only player to ever break 2,000 career points, as Marc Messier is second with 1,887 career points. Wayne Gretsky has not played since 1999, but he still holds more records in the league, such as Most Hart Trophies with nine and most Goals and Assists in a career. To put it in perspective, Alex Ovechkin and Sydney Crosby have been in the league since 2004 and 2005 as two of the most dangerous scorers in the world; neither one has more than 1500 points.
4. Most Touchdowns in a Season
LaDainian Tomlinson 31 Touchdowns in 2006
LaDainian Tomlinson and his Charger team were unstoppable in 2006 shattering the previous league record with 31 touchdowns on his way to an MVP season. LT was on a new level this year scoring four touchdowns in three different games along with 1800 yards rushing. This season has not been replicated again, except for Shaun Alexander, who had 28 touchdowns in the 2005 season. In comparison to the current players, last year’s leaders in touchdowns were Jonathon Taylor and Austin Ekeler, who tied with 20, one less than Alvin Kamara had the year prior.
5. Walks in One MLB Season
Barry Bonds: 232 walks in 2004. 120 intentional walks in that season as well with two
In 2004, Barry Bonds was in his third season since setting the Home Run record with 73 in one season. Pitchers were still pretty cautious with him clearly as he recorded 232 walks in his 617 plate appearances that season. This would mean that if Barry Bonds did not swing his bat the whole season, he still would have been on base every three at-bats. During this same season, 120 of the walks were intentional, where pitchers chose to walk him in the first innings, with bases empty and even with the bases loaded on multiple occasions. I guess Barry Bonds reached a point in his career where pitchers would rather see him on base than hitting home runs into McCovey Cove outside of Oracle Park.