- MLB consecutive games played streaks
Listed below are the 15 longest consecutive games played streaks in
Major League Baseball history. [ [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats2.shtml Consecutive Games Played : The Top 15 by Baseball Almanac ] ]Notes
* On
June 20 ,2007 ,Doug Brocail hit Miguel Tejada on the wrist with a pitch. During the game onJune 21 , Tejada took an at-bat in the top half of the first inning, making an unsuccessful attempt to bunt the ball resulting in a fielder's choice. He was removed from the game for a pinch runner, officially keeping the streak alive. Tejada was diagnosed with a broken wrist and went to the disabled list, ending his streak at 1,152 games. [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070622&content_id=2042946&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Streak over: Tejada placed on DL ] ] [ [http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070622&content_id=2043519&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal The Official Site of The Baltimore Orioles: News: Tejada closes door on streak ] ]
*Hideki Matsui assembled a professional baseball consecutive games streak of 1,768 games combined, between the Japanese leagueYomiuri Giants and the Major leagueNew York Yankees , playing 518 games consecutively in the majors. Matsui's 518 games represent a record for consecutive games to start a player's big-league career. The entire combined streak stretched fromAugust 22 ,1993 -May 10 ,2006 and was ended by a wrist injury in what would have been his 519th consecutive game. The major league portion of the streak extended fromMarch 31 ,2003 (opening day) untilMay 10 ,2006 . [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=260511110 ESPN - Broken wrist likely sidelines Matsui for three months - MLB ] ] (For more on Matsui, see note below on MLB rule).
* Ripken says that the closest he ever came to not playing during his streak was the day after he twisted his knee during a bench-clearing brawl against theSeattle Mariners in June 1993. [ [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/ripken/bal-sp.ripken22sep22,0,6596525.story The Streak survives criticism, M's brawl - baltimoresun.com ] ] FromJune 5 ,1982 toSeptember 14 ,1987 , Ripken played 8,243 consecutive innings, which is believed to be a record, although not one that is officially kept byMLB . [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DD1730F935A2575AC0A961948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fR%2fRipken%2c%20Cal%20Jr%2e SPORTS PEOPLE; Father Knows Best - New York Times ] ] When the 1994-95 baseball player's strike threatened to destroy Ripken's streak after baseball owners planned to use replacement players, Baltimore ownerPeter Angelos announced that the Orioles would rather not field a team than see Ripken's streak snapped. [ [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/ripken/bal-sp.ripken23sep23,0,7055279.story Only strike stops roll, threatens The Streak - baltimoresun.com ] ] The strike was eventually settled without using replacements, and Ripken broke the record onSeptember 6 ,1995 . [ [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/ripken/bal-sp.ripken06sep06,0,7251889.story Memories play on, 10 years later - baltimoresun.com ] ] Ripken himself made the decision not to play onSeptember 20 ,1998 , the Orioles' last home game of the season. RookieRyan Minor playedthird base for Ripken in a 5-4 loss to theYankees . [ [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/ripken/bal-sp.ripken27sep27,0,890302.story Calling his own number, Ripken ends the streak - baltimoresun.com ] ]
*Lou Gehrig 's streak started as a pinch-hitter. The next day he started at first base in place of slumpingWally Pipp (contrary to legend, Pipp did not have a headache [ [http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/pipp.asp Urban Legends Reference Pages: Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig ] ] ), and stayed there for fourteen years.
* OnJuly 14 ,1934 , Gehrig, suffering from an attack oflumbago , was listed in theYankee lineup atshortstop . He batted in the top of the first inning to preserve the streak, singled, and was promptly removed from the game. [http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=phonyrecords-030225] [ [http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030618&content_id=381183&vkey=lou_gehrig&fext=.jsp&c_id=null The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Gehrig's amazing streak ] ]
* Gehrig's streak was ended byamyotrophic lateral sclerosis , the disease that would take his life. His physical abilities rapidly declining, Gehrig told manager Joe McCarthy to take him out of the lineup onMay 2 ,1939 . He never played again, dying in 1941.
* Garvey's all-time National League record is less than half the length of Ripken's. His streak was ended when he dislocated his thumb in a home plate collision against theAtlanta Braves . [ [http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/g/garvey_steve.html Steve Garvey - Earned Mr. Clean image for play on field ] ]
* Ripken, Gehrig, Williams, Sewell, Musial, Fox, Ashburn, and Banks are members of theBaseball Hall of Fame .
*MLB 's rule 10.23(c), defining consecutive game streaks, is as follows: "A consecutive game playing streak shall be extended if the player plays one half inning on defense, or if he completes a time at bat by reaching base or being put out. A pinch running appearance only shall not extend the streak. If a player is ejected from a game by an umpire before he can comply with the requirements of this rule, his streak shall continue." [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Official info: Official Rules ] ] This peculiar rule means that a pinch-runner can come into a game, steal a base, get caught stealing, and even score a run, but still will not be credited with a (consecutive) game played if he does not stay in the game afterward. Similarly, a player can take the field and contribute to the game in many ways--field a ball in play, make a putout, make an assist, commit an error--but is not credited with a (consecutive) game played if he does not play an entire half inning. For example, Hideki Matsui's consecutive games streak (see above) was ended when he broke his wrist diving for a ball with two outs in the first inning of the Yankee game ofMay 11 ,2006 . That game would have been #519 and #1,769 in his MLB and MLB/Japan game streaks, but since Matsui did not play a full half inning on defense, that game is not counted in his streak. MLB and theSociety for American Baseball Research [http://www.sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/DEC2006.pdf] both credit Matsui with having played 518 consecutive MLB games.
* The player with the longest active streak was, as ofAugust 16 ,2008 ,Philadelphia Phillies first basemanRyan Howard with 237 games. [http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20080816_Phillies-Padres_preview.html]References
External links
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1998/09/20/ripken_streak/ CNNSI article on the end of Ripken's streak, including a picture of the lineup card]
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