Before you read this article, be aware that this list is comprised of individuals. Hence, I am allowed to exclude the Celtics that won 8 straight NBA titles and the John Wooden Bruins. I'm planning to do a team streaks list soon- and that one may surprise you. Hopefully you have a good time reading this one, then bashing it. And perhaps most importantly, please enlighten me if I've missed something glaring (and no, Marciano's streak isn't as impressive as Robinson's). Thanks, and enjoy! :)
1. Cal Ripken, Jr.- 2,632 consecutive games played
The most impressive streak in sports, bar none, despite my bias (he was my first sports hero- I cannot remember a time when he wasn't my favorite player). In baseball, there are 162 games in a season; players occasionally need to go 3 full weeks without a day off. Cal Ripken never took a day off for more than 15 years- and produced at a Hall of Fame level, hitting more than 400 career home runs and 3,000 career base hits- not to mention some outstanding plays on defense.
2. Edwin Moses- 122 consecutive 400m hurdle wins
The only possible competitor to Ripken. Over a span of 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days, Edwin Moses did not lose a single race in the 400m hurdles, winning two gold medals- it is likely that he would have won three, but the US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Moses's dominance of the event led many others to quit, believing that they could not possibly beat him. In honor of his great accomplishments, he was selected to say the Olympic Oath.
3. Wayne Gretzky- 51 consecutive games with a point
The Great One was the only player who never seemed to hit a hot goalie with a good team- every other player has, and in my opinion always will. For the record, Gretzky owns the second-best streak as well- 30 games with a point. A truly dominant player with many records to match, this might be his greatest accomplishment. As far as game-by-game streaks go, some, including me, prefer Dimaggio's record, below- but there's no denying that Gretzky's is more impressive because no one else has even come close.
4. Joe Dimaggio- 56 consecutive games with a hit
Ripken's is more impressive, in my opinion, but this might be the most celebrated record in baseball and perhaps even all of sports- baseball isn't called "America's pastime" for nothing; I freely admit that I'd never heard of Moses before I did some research for this article. The closest to him is Pete Rose, at 44 games (which is the NL record; Dimaggio played for the Yankees). Chase Utley's recent hitting streak was a thing of beauty; he'd hit safely in 32 straight games. But all it takes is ONE game... and Dimaggio never seemed to have one.
5. Byron Nelson- 11 consecutive PGA tour wins
I grant that this record was set "way back when" as it were. This prevents it from being higher in the rankings- even Tiger probably won't get more than 6 or, at best, 8 in a row. The field is too strong now. But it isn't like Nelson was the only golfer on the tour, either- he possessed truly exceptional skill with the clubs.
6. Johnny Unitas- 47 consecutive games with a TD pass
Some people feel like this is living on borrowed time- lots of people seem to be betting that Brady or Manning will break this record. But every time they get going, a defense keeps their passes out of the end zone. Even "the greatest pure passer in history," as some annoint Dan Marino, "only" got to 30 games in a row. Now THAT's impressive.
7. Steven Redgrave- 5 consecutive Olympics with a gold medal
The only person ever to perform this feat in any sport in either the Summer or Winter games, Steven Redgrave is a monster even by the standards of rowers. Though he's slimmed down since Sydney, his last gold, he's still, and forever will be, a legend among rowers. Redgrave is also noteworthy for winning gold medals on both sides of a sweep boat- not the only one to do it, but in rare company. (For informative purposes to those of you who aren't rowers, it's completely back-asswards to try and switch sides- I'm a pretty technically sound starboard rower, but when I row on port it isn't pretty.) This man had the ability to singlehandedly turn a boat that wouldn't make the finals without him into gold medalists.
8. Lance Armstrong- 7 consecutive Tour de France wins
One of the heroes of today's sports scene, Lance Armstrong overcame testicular cancer and won no fewer than seven Tours in a row, which is also the record for most tours ever won by one person. While some believe he *had* to have used steroids or doped to perform so well, biking is famous for busting its athletes; indeed, many of the top contenders are not riding in this year's Tour (presently taking place) for drug or doping related violations. In my estimation, Lance Armstrong is one of the truly exceptional athletes in the history of sports. Unfortunately, in the time of the steroid era, few seem to agree with me.
9. Orel Hershiser- 59 straight scoreless innings
It is very impressive when a pitcher throws 9 straight scoreless innings; that's a complete-game shutout. Orel Hershiser threw the equivalent of more than 6.5 straight shutouts enroute to 59 straight scoreless innings. A truly remarkable feat, the fact that the second-best streak is 58 2/3 innings (Don Drysdale) takes away from this streak's ability to crack the top 5. Nevertheless, it took some truly phenomenal pitching- and also a great manager, who knew exactly when to take Hershiser out when it was time for him to be pulled.
10. Steffi Graf- The "Golden" Grand Slam
In tennis, it takes exceptional talent and skill to win even one of the four Grand Slam titles throughout the year- the Austrailian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Steffi Graf won 22 career grand slam titles. A Calendar Grand Slam (winning all 4 of those titles in the same year) is one of the most elusive feats in sports- today, a player needs to win the 4 tournaments on 3 different surfaces, which all play very differently. Steffi Graf is the only player, man or woman, to win a Calendar Grand Slam AND win the Olympic Gold Medal in the same year (hence why it is the "Golden" Grand Slam; she won all 5 major titles when there are usually only 4). It is true that 1988 was the first year tennis was played at the Olympics since the early 20th century after a long absence, but Graf was a phenomenal talent who methodically took her opponents apart on a whim.
Notables (no particular order):
-Martina Navritalova, 6 consecutive Wimbledon titles.
-Cy Young, 24 straight innings without a hit
-Ted Williams, reached base 16 times in a row
-Sugar Ray Robinson, 91 straight boxing victories
-Tiger Woods, 142 straight PGA cuts made
-Alexander Karelin, 3 Olympic Gold Medals & 9 World Championships w/o giving up a point
-Cael Sanderson, 159 straight wrestling wins @ Iowa State
-Micheal Williams, 97 straight free throws made (NBA)
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about 1 month ago
I agree that Ripken's streak is the greatest, but I seriously think Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak is the one record that will never be broken, and it is far more difficult to attain. Hitting a baseball is the hardest task of any sport. Not only do you have to hit the ball, but you have to hit it where they ain't, and Joe did that for 56 consecutive games.
I really enjoyed this article. Great piece and definitely my Pick of the Day!
from about 1 month ago
Thanks! I have to say, though, that it seems more plausible for someone to break Dimaggio's record that Gretzky's. Chase Utley could do it... and people do get on 15 or 16 game streaks without too much fuss if they're good hitters. It's going to take some time, but if I had to pick one from the top 5, I'd say Dimaggio's is most vulnerable.
about 1 month ago
ripken's and dimaggio's are easily the most unbreakables. i think gretz's point streak will be broken by sid or ovie someday
from about 1 month ago
Mm... I think the top 5 are pretty untouchable. Again, all it takes is for someone to hit ONE hot keeper... I think Gretz's record may be around for quite some time.
about 1 month ago
Great read! I agree with Adam and Alan. Ripkin's and Dimaggio's records will never be broken. I think Orel's record is one that gets forgotton alot. That is also a tremendous feat.
from about 1 month ago
Indeed it is. Orel's, though, seems the most vulnerable of the three, for the simple reason that Hershiser inched out Drysdale by 1/3 of an inning.
I'd say an Eric Gagne/Mariano Rivera-type pitcher, rather than a starting ace, might have the best shot at Hershiser.
about 1 month ago
Gordie Howe: consecutive seasons with 20+ goals (22) AND the number of consecutive decades to suit up as a professional athlete (6).
Great article!
from about 1 month ago
I did some reading on Howe, but I'm not sure where I'd rank him on this list. Both of those accomplishments are exceptional, but I think standing alone they're not as impressive, although certainly worthy of mention.
Thanks for the comment!
about 1 month ago
Ripken will never be touched. Not only does it take some serious desire to put together a streak like that, it takes an incredibly amount of luck. A lot of baseball players can't put together two or three straight seasons without a trip to the DL, yet Ripken managed well more than that. Remember when he broke his nose during an All-Star game photo shoot? Most players would take time off for that, but since it didn't affect his ability to field a ground ball or get a hit, Ripken kept playing.
from about 1 month ago
Actually, I don't remember that- I was born in 1988. But I believe it; the man is the Iron Man for a reason. thanks for the comment!
about 1 month ago
How Quickly We forget the 2.130 Games in a row of the " Iron Horse " -- Henry Louis Gehrig.
With the passing just days ago of our of Great Countrys Birthday. July 4th -- The Anniversary is also remembered for the Most Famous Speech in all Sports History!!!!
Within Days of The Final MLB All-Star Game played inside the Hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium
( The House that Ruth Built ( Oh, For You Rookies ) Babe was a pretty good ballplayer.
I'm shocked the streak does not receive a top nomination..
I really enjoyed this article
BTW.. A High school Wrestling Team in Brandon, Fla. this past season had a near 500 match winning streak snapped..It was on ESPN in the Springtime..
Regards,
Charlie
from about 1 month ago
2,130 is a great number as well, but Ripken absolutely shattered it.
from about 1 month ago
Agreed. I can't put Gehrig here because it'd be redundant. "Oh yeah, this is incredible, but it's already been broken." Also remember that these are "untouchable" records and it seems pretty clear that Gehrig's was touchable. An amazing streak, but no way it's worthy of the top 10.
As for the high school team, it's a team streak and therefore doesn't qualify for this article on individual streaks. I'll consider it for my upcoming team streak article though. Thanks for the comment!
about 1 month ago
No one seems to mention Wilt Chamberlains 100 points in ONE GAME!!!! Come on thats something that Jordan couldn't even break. That should be in the top 5 for sure.
from about 1 month ago
How can that be in the top 10? It isn't a streak, even! Besides, they play in a different era now. It's ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE to break that; 40 points a game is truly exceptional, 50 is something of legends. That automatically would knock it further down the list; part of the reason it survives is because not even the best of their day in today's game could possibly make a run at it. All of the others are theoretically possible, but are still the standard nonetheless: so formidable that they can't be broken.
Thanks for the comment, though!
about 1 month ago
it is so possible to break. Kobe almost got it once when he got 76 in a agme so it is so a beatable mark. but you are right it isn't a streak but still something that is an amazing feat in sports none-the-less.
17 days ago
Great idea. Great subject. Great article.
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