Expert: Tom Schott - 12/10/2008

Question
Whose record do you think will be broke first Johnny Vander Meer or Sam (Alias Wahoo) Crawford's?

Answer
Wiley,

I don't think either of these records will ever be broken, but of the two, as impossible as it sounds, I think Vander Meer's would fall first. But to say this is to imagine something beyond the realm of the possible, in my opinion. What makes both of these records untouchable is that when we look at them, we say "impossible!" But there it is.

To break Vander Meer's record of pitching 2 consecutive no-hitters, a pitcher would have to throw 3 consecutive no-hitters, at least 27 straight innings without allowing a hit. Here is perspective on this. In the last 52 years, only two pitchers, Harvey Haddix and Jim Maloney, have been able to go over 9 innings without giving up hit. In all of baseball history, since 1876, only a single pitcher has been able to pitch 2 consecutive no-hitters.

Sam Crawford's record of 312 lifetime triples is, I think, truly out of reach. To break the record, a hitter would have to =average= more than 15 triples a year for 20 years straight; over 10 triples a year if he played 30. Impossible.