Immediately following his appearance on ESPN's First Take, in the midst of a 30-game hitting streak, Ryan Zimmerman proceeded to go 0-for-3 in the Washington Nationals' 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants, thus ending his run at history.
Zimmerman became yet another player to threaten Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, but in doing so, he only reminded us once again what an achievement 56 straight games with a base knock was and still is.
Every year, someone gets in the high twenties, and every so often even the low thirties. But they all fall to match Joe's mark. Their failures, in turn, become a testament to DiMaggio's success.
In a sport that puts so much emphasis on numbers, 56 seems unbreakable.
In the modern era, only Pete Rose has gotten close; he reached 44 games in 1978. Paul Molitor hit for 39 consecutive games in 1987 before being stopped. Most recently, Jimmy Rollins reached 38 games over two seasons in 2005-2006.
Solid stuff, but no one even gets to 50.
When you consider that DiMaggio hit .408 over his stretch with 15 HR and 55 RBI, it's awfully hard to imagine someone from this era remaining focused for that long. With media coverage the way it is, the pressure seems too much. Fifty-six games means a man must stay in the zone a long time.
Of course, 56 is nothing in comparison to 2,632.
In 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. became the ultimate "Iron Man" when he surpassed Lou Gehrig for consecutive games played at 2,131. Ripken eventually settled at 2,632, covering 16 years in the process. For his career, Cal finished with a .276 average, 431 HR and 3,184 hits. He played a combined 3,001 games, with the majority being at the shortstop position, which, aside from catcher, may be the toughest on the diamond.
Will 2,632 be tested? Currently, no active player tops 1,000; to reach the milestone, an individual would have to complete 16-plus seasons all with, most likely, the same team. It wouldn't seem practical to shuffle someone of that stature from team to team.
With this in mind, Ripken's feat could become the most unbreakable of them all.
Another seemingly indestructible number is 4,256.
Pete Rose owns MLB's record for most hits. His 4,256 are 1,555 better than all active players (Ken Griffey Jr. is tops right now with 2,701).
The only active player within reach is Derek Jeter. He stands at 2,575, but even if he plays as long as Rose did, would have to average 185 over nine more years to catch him. Comparatively, during Rose's final nine years, he averaged 110 hits.
The likelihood that someone with Rose's grittiness and determination to win will come along, all while performing from both sides of the plate, is low. The mark of 4,256 will stand the test of time.
And as for 60 feet, six inches away: What about 5,714, or seven?
In 1993, Nolan Ryan finished his major league career with 5,714 strikeouts. More impressively, he threw seven no-hitters in the Bigs, beginning with his first in 1973 (he threw two in 1973) and ending with his last in 1991.
Ryan leads Randy Johnson in strikeouts by 883 and Sandy Koufax in no-hitters by three. It's safe to say that the record of seven no-hitters will not be challenged when you consider Cy Young completed 749 games.
Currently, Randy Johnson leads any active pitcher with 100 complete games. If pitchers can't throw nine innings, can they statistically manage to throw seven no-hitters in their career?
As far as striking out 5,714 batters, Nolan Ryan's career lasted 26 years. Not even Roger Clemens—who supposedly boosted his longevity with chemical enhancements—could tally those sort of numbers. Who in their right mind would think some newbie may one day match 5,714?
56, 2,632, 4,256, 5,714, and 7. When bunched together, these numbers seem out of place. When constructed in a line, they appear boring and without meaning.
But when you attach career accomplishments to them in order to give them historical significance, they suddenly seem insurmountable.
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