The Actually Unbreakable Marks

As Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits continues, the questions surrounding the impending milestone are becoming more and more ridiculous.  The YES Network poll question on the Yankee game the other night actually asked people if they thought he'd be the last player to reach 3,000.  This is possibly the stupidest poll question in the history of the YES Network.  The answer is a resounding "NO!"  In fact, of the six other active players with at least 2,500 career hits, three of them (Pudge Rodriguez-2842, Alex Rodriguez-2762, Johnny Damon-2662) have a good/reasonable chance of getting to 3,000.  And Ichiro gets 200 a year and is currently at 2342, so he'll probably get there, too.

If Jeter were a pitcher on the verge of his 300th win, the "Will he be the last one?" question would make a little more sense.  There isn't a single active pitcher that's even at 200 career wins (sorry, but Jamie Moyer doesn't count).  Tim Wakefield's the current leader at 198, but he's pitched forever and he's 98 years old, so it's not like he's going to be around long enough to get 102 more.  Guys like Roy Halladay (180) and CC Sabathia (169) have a chance to get there, but it's reasonable to assume they might not.  So, even though I don't think it's likely, it is at least possible that Randy Johnson will be the last 300-game winner.  That's certainly more likely to be the case than Jeter being the last to 3,000 hits.

While we're at it, here are some other benchmark statistics that aren't going to be touched (this is career records only...single-season marks like Ted Williams' .406 average, Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak and Hack Wilson's 191 RBIs will be tackled in another blog entry):

• 600 saves: Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer ever.  He's still 20 away and will probably get his 600th early next season.  That will put a grand total of two closers (Rivera and Trevor Hoffman) in the 600-save club.  They're also the only two in the 500-save club.  Only three others even have 400 saves.  Who's next on the active list?  Francisco Cordero at 307.
• 3,000 strikeouts: There are a couple active hitters who might get to 3,000 strikeouts (Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn), at least it seems, but this is a milestone only for pitchers.  You've got to be dominant for a long time to get to 3,000 K's.  Only 16 have done it, most recently the likes of Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and John Smoltz.  Of the 16, 10 are in the Hall of Fame and the other six aren't eligible yet.  The active leader is that incomparable superstar Javy Vazquez with 2,440.
• 50 shutouts: Seeing as pitchers are rarely allowed to throw complete games these days, it seems unlikely anyone will even get to 30 career shutouts.  Roy Halladay's the active leader with 19, and he's probably the only starter you can think of who's actually allowed to go out there in the ninth inning.  Only 19 players have recorded 50, the youngest of which is Nolan Ryan.  Walter Johnson's unfathomable 110 career shutouts is right up there with Cy Young's 511 wins as two of the most unbreakable baseball records.
• 600 stolen bases: Chalk up Rickey Henderson's 1,406 steals as another unbreakable record.  Baseball's a different game now.  Even the 600-steal mark (less than half of Henderson's total) seems hard to reach.  In fact, just 16 men period have gotten there.  The active leader is Juan Pierre (540), who's speed isn't what it once was.  Carl Crawford (417) and Ichiro (405) have a chance, but I think they'll end up a little bit short.
• 150 triples: Another casualty of the modern game is the triple.  Ever since Babe Ruth started crushing the ball out of the ballpark, the triple has been a lost art.  Baseball likes its round numbers, but 200 is too exclusive (only seven).  To even further prove the point, of the 49 men with 150 those whose careers ended most recently are Stan Musial and Roberto Clemente.  Only two active players have hit 100 triples (Carl Crawford-109, Johnny Damon-103), although Jimmy Rollins (99) and Jose Reyes (98) both will this season.
• 600 doubles: The 600-home run club gets a new member every year, but with home runs, 500 has always been the magic number.  600 doubles is a different story, though.  This group of 14 of the greatest hitters in baseball history includes 11 Hall of Famers, two future Hall of Famers (Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds) and Pete Rose.  Another future Hall of Famer, Pudge Rodriguez, has a chance to join them (he has 572), but he's the only one of the five active guys with 500 that does.  Todd Helton has been the Rockies first baseman forever and has 543 career doubles, but will he play long enough to get 57 more?