MLB BLOG
5 RECORDS THAT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN:
232 Walks in one season
Barry Bonds was in the midst of terrorizing the majors. It seemed as though every time he made his way up to the mound, the ball was bound to leave the park.
Bonds, of course, holds the major league record for home runs with 762. Although he was a great hitter, managers around the league were attempting to find ways around dealing with him at the plate.
On the heels of his fifth straight season with at least 45 home runs, including a major league record, 73, Bonds was having his normal terrific year for the San Francisco Giants in 2004. He finished off his season with 45 home runs, 101 RBIs and he led the league in several categories, including: batting percentage, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
The one statistic that stood out the most and will likely never be broken in major league history, is the 232 walks he aggregated during the year. Interestingly enough, the next closest person to Bonds is Bonds himself as he racked up 198 two years prior. Outside of those two seasons, the next closest is…Bonds. he registered 177 in 2001.
No one has come closer than 62 walks. Meaning, it’s going to be nearly impossible for anyone to pass Bonds and the 232 he piled up in 2004.
2,558 Walks in his career
For a pitcher, there was simply nothing scarier than Barry Bonds walking up to the plate during a close ball game. Their normally bare forehead immediately began sweating profusely as the images of Bonds landing a crushing homer flashed through their minds. And, more times than not, their worst fears would come to reality.
To put an end to Bonds and his home run hitting ways, he found himself walked…a lot.
Bonds and his 2,558 career walks are 350 more than second-place Rickey Henderson and his 2,190. While that may seem close, Henderson still poses no threat as he hasn’t stepped into the batter’s box in almost two decades.
In terms of whose his closest active competition, Bonds is somewhere laughing. Albert Pujols, who’s currently in his early 40s, doesn’t even crack the top 30, as he has just over 1,300 walks in his career.
The fear that Bonds placed in pitchers and managers was so ridiculous that the unthinkable happened. With the San Francisco Giants down by two, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in 1998, the Arizona Cardinals intentionally walked him and allowed a run to score. Yup, that’s how scary he was.
7 No-hitters
Registering a no-hitter is extremely difficult for a pitcher. Not only are they depending on their defense to make sure that no “hit” balls land on the ground, but more than anything, they need to be practically perfect when they’re out there.
Nolan Ryan and his seven career no-hitters aren’t necessarily considered gaudy when juxtaposed to the other records on this list, but when you consider that his closest competition, Sandy Koufax, only has four, then maybe you’ll realize that it’s going to take someone with an incredible arm to dethrone him.
HOOOOOPSNATION 