Best Sports Records Ever

A quartet of analytics professors delved recently into the greatest sports records in history and offered this caveat, “Our analysis does not, nor should it for that matter, settle to everyone’s satisfaction as to what are the best sports records. However, it provides a framework to structure the debate. Using this framework facilitates a process that can lead to an improved model and/or more confidence in the results.” Herewith are their findings.

Best Sports Records Ever

Barry Bonds's career intentional walks: 688

Robert Beck for Sports Illustrated

“Given the records that Barry Bonds has set in baseball it might not be surprising that according to our analysis he holds the best sports record. What might be surprising is that this record is for 688 intentional walks during his career, while his single season record of 73 home runs is the lowest ranked record in our analysis.”

Nolan Ryan's career no-hitters: 7

Bill Janscha/AP

No-hitters, even by great pitchers, are rare. Second to Ryan in the category is one Sandy Koufax, who had only four no-nos. Bob Feller and Cy Young had three, and all of the other greats on the list (which includes Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Jim Bunning, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay) had two. Seven is a big, big number.

Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak (1941)

National Baseball Hall of Fame/Reuters

Enough said.

Jim Bottomley's single game RBIs: 12 (1924)

AP

Put to the mathematical test, Bottomley’s standard was set—and though it has been tied it, has not been BROKEN—91 years ago, and, further, at the time it was significantly better than the existing standard, which was nine, set by infielder Heinie Zimmerman in 1911.

Oscar Robertson's single-season triple-doubles: 41 (1961-62)

Hans Von Nolde/AP

It’s actually surprising that the Big O had “only” 41 since he averaged a triple-double for the season (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists). That fact is nothing less than startling, but averaging a triple-double for the season is an achievement not a record. But, look, 41 triple-doubles is still astounding, and it was achieved by arguably the game’s most versatile player ever.

Cy Young’s career win record: 511

Photo File/Getty Images

The record holds up partly because it is so statistically superior to second place, which is Walter Johnson’s 417.

Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game (1962)

Paul Vathis/AP

You’ve heard the story. On an otherwise unremarkable late-season game, without live video, contested at an arena in Hershey, Pa., the Philadelphia Warriors center connected on 36 of 63 field goal attempts, and, most remarkably (since he was a horrid foul shooter), 28 of 32 free throws, against the New York Knicks.

Cy Young's career complete games: 749

Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Perhaps nothing illustrates the changes in era more than this record since complete games have been steadily declining.

Wayne Gretzky's career assists: 1,963

Damian Strohmeyer for Sports Illustrated

Isn’t it nice when the greatest record from the game’s greatest player has to do with distributing, not scoring?

Norm Van Brocklin's single-game pass yards: 554 (1951)

Mark Kauffman for Sports Illustrated

That is an extraordinary single-event record because, with the exception of Y.A. Tittle’s 505-yard game in 1962 for the New York Giants against the Washington Redskins, most of the other 17 500-yard QBs played within the last 10 years.