# Longest/most impressive streaks in sports. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 16, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060 "2005-05-16T13:46:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/41 "2005-05-17T14:57:35Z")
Bennett Cerf wrote an item about that game – he even located a guy who admitted to being the Cumberland quarterback. The QB remembered fumbling, and exhorting a teammate in position, “Pick it up!” “Pick it up, hell!”, replied the teammate. “ **I** didn’t drop it!” > [@ronincyberpunk](#): > > Well, rather tongue in cheek I would point out the college football score difference record - held by Georgia Tech under the leadership of the ruthless John Heisman. GT beat Cumberland 222-0 in 1916. The story goes that Cumberland begged GT to give them a game, when in fact Cumberland didn’t even have a real football team. It was basically a scrimmage game. During half time GT was up something like 144-0 and Heisman told his team “Don’t let up, you never know what these boys have up their sleave.” ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/42 "2005-05-17T15:19:25Z")
For a similarly impressive performance, google ‘Linsey Dawn McKenzie’ AND “soccer game”. (Don’t do it at work). > [@Mangetout](#): > > I think on the basis of sheer exuberance, the most impressive streak would be Sheila Nichols at the England vs Australia cricket at Lords in May 1989. > > … that is what you meant, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/43 "2005-05-17T15:38:00Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > That’s what I like about the Dope. We get to hear about some of the streaks that otherwise would have never made the news in the US. I have no idea what **Malacandra** was even talking about (I know NOTHING about cricket) but the content of the post gives enough information to put Bradman in the running. There’ve been threads explaining cricket before, but to give Bradman’s achievements some perspective: There is no particular onus in cricket to score off any given delivery, or even to hit it, as long as it does not hit the wicket. On the other hand, higher scores are the norm as a result. An individual score of 100 or more in a single innings is rated very good, and is beyond the reach of many players, though someone played largely for his batting would be expected to manage it reasonably regularly. 200 is extremely good; so good a batsman as Graham Gooch (England, from 1975 into the 1990s) managed only two scores of over 200 in his whole Test career, and no-one would consider it at all odd for, say, a six-match series to go by without any batman on either side making one. 300 is tremendously good; there has been a comparative rash of such scores in the last decade or so, but I think there are only 20-odd triple centuries in Test history. Thus for individual efforts. As for longer-term consistency, Bradman’s ability to score a hundred or more every third innings is completely unmatched. Few batsmen have _ever_ made a hundred hundreds; Bradman did it in about 200 appearances. Similarly with his efficiency at converting hundreds into _really_ big scores. Jack Hobbs, of Surrey and England, whose career ended just as Bradman’s was beginning, holds the career record for centuries with 197 of them; but he scored them over longer time and more innings. And when Hobbs had made his hundred, he was famous for taking his foot off the pedal and letting someone else have a go. When Bradman was going well, he habitually cashed in to the fullest extent of his formidable ability. To reiterate: a handful of players have been consistently good enough to average sixty-odd over their Test careers. The best of the rest are typically in the high forties. Bradman’s 99.94 stands utterly alone. It speaks for itself that newspaper hoardings screamed “BRADMAN FAILS!” if he did not make a Test hundred, but merely fifty or so. Most lesser lights consider fifty runs a good day’s work. Mention ought also to be made of Dr W. G. Grace. Though his averages don’t match up to Bradman’s, he was the first to make a hundred hundreds, and he did it in an era when pitches on the whole were a lot more uneven than in Bradman’s day. (A cricket ball bounces on its way to the batsman. Obviously, if the pitch is out of true, the batsman has to cope with unpredictable variations in bounce, which may lead him to miss entirely or miscue, gifting a catch to the fielding side.) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/44 "2005-05-17T15:43:43Z")
I just say Jarvis because I see hockey as tougher than football, especially with the QB-protection rules in place now and the fact that the hockey season has so many more games to it… Not to say Favre isn’t tough, but there’s a lot more risk in hockey. And Jarvis was a top-caliber player, which made the feat even more impressive than if he were just some grinder. DiMaggio’s is impressive, and we are unlikely to see its like again, but I don’t count Pujols out of making a run at it. And not to be nitpicky, but VanderMeer’s isn’t a “streak.” You have to have at least three to be streaking. [What about Zippy Chippy’s streak of losses?](http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/todaysnewsarchive/ttodaysnewsviewarchive.asp?ArchiveDate=03/17/2001#10408) ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/45 "2005-05-17T16:02:30Z")
> [@NothingMan](#): > > Except the players walked out on August 12th of that year. At that time the Expos were a mere 6 games in first place with many more games to be played. Therefore _no one_ won the division that season. It never happened. I do agree though that perhaps it should at least be mentioned whenever you hear the “13 straight division titles” line used. Still…an impressive feat. As I see it, whether 1994 baseball season ended because of a walkout, a strike or a lockout is irrelevant to the question at hand. Saying, “It never happened” is demonstrably incorrect. I went to games in 1994. They counted in the standings and the players’ accomplishments were tallied and made part of their individual records. The only exception to this is the silly and meaningless distinction about whether division championships were won, and the only purpose served by that silly distinction is to preserve the Braves’ division streak record at Montreal’s expense. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/46 "2005-05-17T16:08:40Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > And not to be nitpicky, but VanderMeer’s isn’t a “streak.” You have to have at least three to be streaking. How 'bout 18 consecutive no-hit innings, bundled together as two seperate nine inning games. I’m sure there are some closers that have thrown more than 18 consecutive no-hit innings but over a span of maybe 16 games or so. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/47 "2005-05-17T16:19:13Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > I think we need to take a closer look at Vander Meers’ Record. Who did he play for, who were the no-hits against, - basically, what the talent was like. > > Anyone got the time? Vander Meer pitched a no hitter against Boston on 11 June 1938 and followed up against Brooklyn the next time he pitched. Boston finished 5th and Brooklyn 7th in the National League that year out of eight teams. The National League Batting average for the league as a whole was .267 and I haven’t found a site with team batting averages yet. However, no hits for 18 straight innings is something that probably won’t happen again even against weak hitting teams. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/48 "2005-05-17T16:52:45Z")
Not the greatest ever but a local High School girls volleyball team did a remarkable thing. At Sweet Home school in Amherst New York. “A 292-match winning streak that spanned eight undefeated campaigns from 1978-1987. The streak obliterated not only the previous record for girls’ volleyball (93), but far surpassed the mark of 218 consecutive wins by the Baskin, Louisiana girls’ basketball team (1947-53) which had stood as the longest win streak in history of high school sports in the United States.” ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/49 "2005-05-17T17:15:43Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > Vander Meer pitched a no hitter against Boston on 11 June 1938 and followed up against Brooklyn the next time he pitched. Boston finished 5th and Brooklyn 7th in the National League that year out of eight teams. The National League Batting average for the league as a whole was .267 and I haven’t found a site with team batting averages yet. > > However, no hits for 18 straight innings is something that probably won’t happen again even against weak hitting teams. Team averages were: Boston - .250 Brooklyn - .257 ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/50 "2005-05-17T17:16:41Z")
Well, turns out that Orel Hershiser had pitched 59 consecutive scoreless innings during a months span in 1988. 6+ games worth. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/51 "2005-05-17T18:23:04Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > You beat me to it. This is the greatest winning streak ever - 132 years. > > And while there were probably spotty years, the fact is that most of the time the Brits were grimly determined to win that cup, and dumped tons of time and money into it. See here: [http://www.answers.com/topic/america-s-cup](http://www.answers.com/topic/america-s-cup) > [@glee](#): > > Surely this isn’t an annual competition? > Why mention 132 years? This competition is held every four years. There were several competitions skipped because of major wars. The US held the cup for 132 consecutive years, during which time the competitors spent millions of dollars redesigning boats and training crews trying to win the cup away. The Brits felt it was a major hit to their naval superiority that the upstart Yanks were able to win competiton after competition, and they were obsessed with winning the cup away. The fact that this took place over 132 years makes it even more impressive - it’s not hard to believe the Americans would be able to assemble a topnotch crew for one or two competitions, but to be able to dominate over several generations is unprecedented and unmatched in any sport. Read the link. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/52 "2005-05-17T18:31:04Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > John, I disagree because this streak is built upon the false assumption that the Braves didn’t finish second behind Montreal in 1994. The argument that the division crown wasn’t awarded that year because of “labor-management unpleasantness” strikes me as just spin to justify the Braves streak and ignores the reality that the Expos were in Atlanta’s division and had a better record than Atlanta did that year. Its an “asterisk” just like saying Maris held the homer record for 162 game seasons but Ruth still held it for a 154 game season. > > Having said that, I’ll second/third/whatever the nomination of “Double No Hit” Vander Meer as the streak most likely not to be broken. Yes, but your argument ignores the fact that there _was no conclusion to the 1994 season_. Since it didn’t play itself out, one can’t say that _any_ team won their division that year. Sure, we’ll call it 12 in a row. 13 after this year is over. 😛 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/53 "2005-05-17T19:22:46Z")
\*\*JohnT[/] and **zamboniracer** , I think I can end this debate for you: Forget about 1994. Atlanta won 1 world series in that time span. They were spotty in the NLCS. Certainly it means something to win a bunch of division titles, but hardly a feat to be compared to say, Lance Armstrong, or any of the other examples listed. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/54 "2005-05-17T20:21:01Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > \*\*JohnT[/] and **zamboniracer** , I think I can end this debate for you: > > Forget about 1994. > > Atlanta won 1 world series in that time span. > > They were spotty in the NLCS. > > Certainly it means something to win a bunch of division titles, but hardly a feat to be compared to say, Lance Armstrong, or any of the other examples listed. You are right. And even at that, the Braves 1 World Series win was over my poor Cleveland Indians. Not that I’m bitter. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/55 "2005-05-17T23:11:11Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > Sorry, **jimmmy** , while Favre’s record is admirable for football,[there is no way he’s tougher than Doug Jarvis.](http://washingtoncaps.com/history/index.cfm?cont_id=28271) And Jarvis played at the top level of hockey, winning four Stanley Cups and a Selke Trophy. > > Sweet GOD, he played in every hockey game his team showed up for. Hockey. Every game. For twelve years and two days. Well you might have me if the thread was _who is the toughest SOB ever \* or what is the toughest tough man streak. But it is “most impressive” streak & I cite again Farve’s uniqueness. QB protections or not he is the only man to ever do it –_\* by 52% freakin’ percent\*\*. Jarvis (tough b^st^rd that he is) is ahead of Unger by 51 games or 5%. He is barely 6% ahead of number 3 Andy Hebenton. To compare Jarvis’ streak to Farve’s is unfair (& I hate being forced to knock him as a Caps guy myself) – but in the end what we can say about Jarvis is that he did something a little bit better that at least two other guys have done. Farve did something 52% better than any man in his sport at any time has done. No one, even “in this age of QB protections” is creeping up on him. There is no real comparison between Jarvis’ and Farve’s streaks. Brett is more impressive because of the single quality of his streak. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/56 "2005-05-18T02:48:13Z")
To compare across different sports, I would suggest that a streak be compared with who was second for the same achievement. What was the second best hitting streak? What was the second (Byron Nelson) best made-cut streak? I posit that the best streak is the one that most exceeds the second best. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/57 "2005-05-18T03:18:35Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Well, turns out that Orel Hershiser had pitched 59 consecutive scoreless innings during a months span in 1988. 6+ games worth. If you’re compairing to Vander Meer’s feat, those are scoreless innings, not hitless innings. My votes: Least likely to be repeated has to be Vander Meer’s consecutive no-hitters. Most remarkable: UCLA’s run. Ten National Championships in 12 years, seven consecutive, playing in single elimination tournaments, and including the 38 game tournament winning streak and overall 88 game winning streak. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/58 "2005-05-18T05:23:02Z")
> [@esquimalt](#): > > New England Patriots 21 game winning streak 2003-2004. This is next to Miami’s streak of what? 18 or 19 games? Totally unimpressive next to Oklahoma’s 47 game streak in collegiate play(1953-1957). Look at that streak next to the next longest in (modern, i.e. post WWII) NCAA football (U of Miami, 34, 2000-2003\*). The Sooners’ streak is 40% longer. Then there are the 12 consecutive conference championships (1948-1959), more than any other I-A team. Of course, all this pales in my book next to UCLA basketball and I’m an unapologetic Sooner fan. \*Sadly, Oklahoma also used to have the #2 streak at 31 games. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/59 "2005-05-18T06:40:13Z")
Tiger woods just ended his [142 tournament uncut streak.](http://www.pgatour.com/story/8470069) ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060/60 "2005-05-18T07:54:08Z")
Nicklaus made 105, so Woods’ streak is 35% longer. Not in the ballpark with Favre’s consecutive starts as far as individual streaks go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-most-impressive-streaks-in-sports/304060.md?page=4)