Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks

Listed below are the longest consecutive games played in Major League Baseball history. To compile such a streak, a player must appear in every game played by his team. The streak is broken if the team completes a game in which the player neither takes a turn at bat nor plays a half-inning in the field.

The record of playing in 2,632 consecutive games over more than 16 years is held by Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken surpassed Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, whose record of 2,130 consecutive games had stood for 56 years. Before Gehrig, the record was held by Everett Scott (1,307 consecutive games), a shortstop with the Red Sox and Yankees whose streak ended in 1925, less than a month before Gehrig's began. Scott broke the previous record which was established by George Pinkney (577 consecutive games) from 1885–1890.

The record for a National League player is held by Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres (1975–1983), though Garvey's 1,207-game streak is less than half the length of Ripken's. Previous holders of the National League record include Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs (1963–1970), Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1957), and Gus Suhr of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1931–1937).

Of the top 17 streaks on this list, 9 were compiled by members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Two others are separate streaks compiled by Pete Rose, who was named one of the top 30 players of the 20th century but is banned from the Hall of Fame.

Key

Player	Name of the player
Streak	Number of consecutive games
Start	Date of the game which began the streak
End	Date of the final game of the streak
	Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
	Streak is active

List

Minimum 500 consecutive games played^[1][2]

Rank	Player	Streak	Start	End
1	Ripken, Jr., CalCal Ripken, Jr.	2,632	000000001982-05-30-0000May 30, 1982	000000001998-09-19-0000September 19, 1998
2	Gehrig, LouLou Gehrig	2,130	000000001925-06-01-0000June 1, 1925	000000001939-04-30-0000April 30, 1939
3	Scott, EverettEverett Scott	1,307	000000001916-06-20-0000June 20, 1916	000000001925-05-05-0000May 5, 1925
4	Garvey, SteveSteve Garvey	1,207	000000001975-09-03-0000September 3, 1975	000000001983-07-29-0000July 29, 1983
5	Tejada, MiguelMiguel Tejada	1,152	000000002000-06-02-0000June 2, 2000	000000002007-06-21-0000June 21, 2007
6	Williams, BillyBilly Williams	1,117	000000001963-09-22-0000September 22, 1963	000000001970-09-02-0000September 2, 1970
7	Sewell, JoeJoe Sewell	1,103	000000001922-09-13-0000September 13, 1922	000000001930-04-30-0000April 30, 1930
8	Musial, StanStan Musial	895	000000001952-04-15-0000April 15, 1952	000000001957-08-22-0000August 22, 1957
9	Yost, EddieEddie Yost	829	000000001949-08-30-0000August 30, 1949	000000001955-05-11-0000May 11, 1955
10	Suhr, GusGus Suhr	822	000000001931-09-11-0000September 11, 1931	000000001937-06-04-0000June 4, 1937
11	Fox, NellieNellie Fox	798	000000001955-08-07-0000August 7, 1955	000000001960-09-03-0000September 3, 1960
12	Rose, PetePete Rose	745	000000001978-09-01-0000September 1, 1978	000000001983-08-23-0000August 23, 1983
13	Murphy, DaleDale Murphy	740	000000001981-09-26-0000September 26, 1981	000000001986-07-08-0000July 8, 1986
14	Ashburn, RichieRichie Ashburn	730	000000001950-06-07-0000June 7, 1950	000000001954-09-26-0000September 26, 1954
15	Banks, ErnieErnie Banks	717	000000001956-08-26-0000August 26, 1956	000000001961-06-22-0000June 22, 1961
16	Rose, PetePete Rose	678	000000001973-09-28-0000September 28, 1973	000000001978-05-07-0000May 7, 1978
17	Averill, EarlEarl Averill	673	000000001931-04-14-0000April 14, 1931	000000001935-06-28-0000June 28, 1935[3]
18	McCormick, FrankFrank McCormick	668	000000001937-09-19-0000September 19, 1937	000000001942-05-24-0000May 24, 1942
19	Alomar, Sr., SandySandy Alomar, Sr.	661	000000001969-04-23-0000April 23, 1969	000000001973-05-20-0000May 20, 1973
20	Brown, EddieEddie Brown	618	000000001924-06-05-0000June 5, 1924	000000001928-06-07-0000June 7, 1928
21	McMillan, RoyRoy McMillan	584	000000001951-09-16-0000September 16, 1951	000000001955-08-07-0000August 7, 1955
22	Pinkney, GeorgeGeorge Pinkney	577	000000001885-09-21-0000September 21, 1885	000000001890-04-30-0000April 30, 1890[4][5]
23	Brodie, SteveSteve Brodie	574
24	Ward, AaronAaron Ward	565	000000001920-07-10-0000July 10, 1920	000000001924-05-25-0000May 25, 1924
25	Fielder, PrincePrince Fielder	547	000000002010-09-14-0000September 14, 2010	000000002014-05-16-0000May 16, 2014[6]
26	Rodriguez, AlexAlex Rodriguez	546	000000002000-07-25-0000July 25, 2000	000000002003-09-23-0000September 23, 2003
27	LaChance, CandyCandy LaChance	540
28	Freeman, BuckBuck Freeman	535
29	Luderus, FredFred Luderus	533	000000001916-06-02-0000June 2, 1916	000000001919-09-28-0000September 28, 1919
30	Matsui, HidekiHideki Matsui	519	000000002003-03-31-0000March 31, 2003	000000002006-05-11-0000May 11, 2006

Official definition

MLB's rule 10.23(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."^[7]

Thus it is possible for a pinch-runner to enter a game and record a statistic—steal a base, be caught stealing, or score a run—without being credited with a (consecutive) game played. Indeed, Juan Pierre appeared in 821 consecutive games from 2002 to 2007, but on June 3, 2005, he was used solely as a pinch runner. Under Rule 10.23(c), this resulted in separate games-played streaks of 386 and 434 games. ^[8]

Similarly, a fielder can field a ball in play, make a putout or an assist, and even commit an error, without being credited with a (consecutive) game played. For example, Hideki Matsui's consecutive games streak was ended when he broke his wrist diving for a ball with two outs in the first inning of the Yankee game of May 11, 2006. That game would have been #519 in his MLB streak and #1,769 in his MLB/Japan game streak (see below), but since Matsui did not play a full half inning on defense, that game is not counted in his streak. MLB and the Society for American Baseball Research^[9] both credit Matsui with having played 518 consecutive MLB games.

Streak starts, continuations, and ends

Lou Gehrig's streak started as a pinch-hitter. The next day he started at first base in place of slumping Wally Pipp^[10] 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.^[11][12] 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 streak was ended when he dislocated his thumb in a home plate collision against the Atlanta Braves.^[13]

Scott's streak was ended when Manager Miller Huggins benched him in favor of Pee Wee Wanninger.

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.^[14] When the 1994–95 player's strike threatened to destroy Ripken's streak as baseball owners planned to use replacement players, Baltimore owner Peter Angelos announced that the Orioles would rather not field a team than see Ripken's streak snapped.^[15] The replacement player scenario never came to pass, as the remainder of the 1994 season—including the World Series—was cancelled due to the strike. Ripken broke Gehrig's record on September 6, 1995.^[16] 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.^[17] Ripken's record is considered by many to be unbreakable.^[18][19]

Miguel Tejada's streak ended after Doug Brocail hit Tejada on the wrist with a pitch on June 20, 2007. During the game on June 21, Tejada took an at-bat in the top half of the first inning, bunting into a fielder's choice. He was removed from the game for a pinch runner, officially keeping the streak alive. But Tejada was then diagnosed with a broken wrist and went to the disabled list, ending his streak at 1,152 games.^[20][21]

Consecutive innings

From June 5, 1982 to September 14, 1987, Ripken played 8,264 consecutive innings, which is believed to be a record, although not one that is officially kept by MLB. The second-longest streak known to have occurred is 5,152 consecutive innings by George Pinkney from 1885 to 1890. The World record for consecutive innings played is currently held by former Hanshin Tigers player and now coach Tomoaki Kanemoto playing 1492 games without missing an inning^[22]

Combined Japanese–US streak

Hideki Matsui assembled a consecutive games streak of 1,768 games combined between the Japanese league Yomiuri Giants and the Major league New York Yankees, placing him behind only Ripken and Gehrig for streaks in top-flight professional baseball. The MLB portion of Matsui's streak lasted for 518 games and is a MLB record for consecutive games to start a player's career. The entire combined streak stretched from August 22, 1993, to May 10, 2006, and was ended by a wrist injury sustained during what would have been his 519th consecutive game (see above). The MLB portion of the streak extended from March 31, 2003 (opening day), until May 10, 2006.^[23]

See also

• Iron man

References

External links

• CNNSI article on the end of Ripken's streak, including a picture of the lineup card