MLB consecutive games played streaks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Listed below are the 15 longest consecutive games played streaks in Major League Baseball history.^[1]

Rank	Name	#	First game	Last game
1.	Cal Ripken, Jr.	2632	May 30, 1982	September 19, 1998
2.	Lou Gehrig	2130	June 1, 1925	April 30, 1939
3.	Everett Scott	1307	June 20, 1916	May 5, 1925
4.	Steve Garvey	1207	September 3, 1975	July 29, 1983
5.	Billy Williams	1117	September 22, 1963	September 2, 1970
6.	Joe Sewell	1103	September 13, 1922	April 30, 1930
7.	Miguel Tejada	1080	June 2, 2000	October 1, 2006 (active)
8.	Stan Musial	895	April 15, 1952	August 22, 1957
9.	Eddie Yost	829	August 30, 1949	May 11, 1955
10.	Gus Suhr	822	September 11, 1931	June 4, 1937
11.	Nellie Fox	798	August 7, 1955	September 3, 1960
12.	Pete Rose	745	September 1, 1978	August 23, 1983
13.	Dale Murphy	740	September 26, 1981	July 8, 1986
14.	Richie Ashburn	730	June 7, 1950	September 26, 1954
15.	Ernie Banks	717	August 26, 1956	June 22, 1961

[edit] Notes

Hideki Matsui, although not in one league, assembled a consecutive games streak of 1,768 games combined between the Japanese league Yomiuri Giants and the Major league New York Yankees, playing 518 games consecutively in the majors. The entire streak stretched from August 22, 1993-May 11, 2006.^[2]
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 the Seattle Mariners in June 1993. From June 5, 1982 to September 14, 1987, Ripken played 8,243 consecutive innings, which is believed to be a record, although not one that is officially kept by MLB. Ripken himself made the decision not to play on September 20, 1998, the Orioles' last home game of the season. Rookie Ryan Minor played third base for Ripken in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees.
Lou Gehrig's streak started as a pinch-hitter. The next day he started at first base in place of slumping Wally Pipp (contrary to legend, Pipp did not have a headache^[3]), and stayed there for fourteen years.
On July 14, 1934, Gehrig, suffering from an attack of lumbago, was listed in the Yankee lineup at shortstop. He batted in the top of the first inning to preserve the streak, singled, and was promptly removed from the game.
Gehrig's streak was ended by amyotrophic 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 on May 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 broke his thumb in a home plate collision against the Atlanta Braves.
Tejada's streak is active. It had reached 1,080 games as of the end of the 2006 season. To break Ripken's record, Tejada would have to play every game until about halfway through the 2016 season, when he will be forty years old.
Gehrig, Williams, Sewell, Musial, Fox, Ashburn, Ripken and Banks are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Despite the shortstop position carrying a relatively higher risk of injury, there is a disproportionate number of shortstops on the list: Ripken, Scott, Sewell, Tejada, and Banks.
MLB's rule 10.24(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." 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.^[4]