Chase Utley's Hit Streak Raises Question Of All-time Sports Records

Posted by Mark Barnes Aug 2, 2006

The Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley recently got a hit in his 33rd consecutive Major League Baseball game. This places Utley a whopping 23 games behind Joe DiMaggio's MLB record 56 straight. I believe DiMaggio's record is the most amazing and daunting record in the entire world of sports. Here are my top three:

3: Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters -- Tossing just one no-no in the Major Leagues is a remarkable feat. Although hitting a 98 MPH fastball is not easy, lucky hits usually land in a game at one time or another, making the no-hitter extremely unlikely. For one pitcher to record seven no-hitters is uncanny.

2: Jery Rice's 22,895 NFL receiving yards -- The distance alone is stupifying, but what makes Rice's receiving record even more impressive is the fact that the guy in second place, Tim Brown, is nearly 8,000 yards behind Rice.

1: Joe DiMaggio's Major League Baseball 56-game hitting streak -- Outside of reaching a 490-yard par 4 golf hole in regulation, I don't know of too many things more difficult than getting a hit off of a Major League pitcher. The pitcher is 60 feet from you, firing 90 MPH fastballs one moment and 76 MPH sinking curves the next. It's a true guessing game for the hitter as to which pitch is coming. Guess wrong, and you'll look silly as the ball blazes by or buckles your knees as the bottom drops out.

Major League hitters get four chances each game to get a hit. The very best hitters get hits only three out of every 10 trips to home plate. Understanding all of this, I think it's very tough for anyone to make a case against Joe DiMaggio's 56 consecutive games with at least one base hit. Truly a phenomenal sports record.