The one MLB record that will never be broken

Your brain is working overtime right now, isn't it? If you are a baseball fan, you have to be wondering which record I'm going to write about. There are several good choices as many records may never be touched. Let's look at some possibilities.How about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak? This may be the one that is most likely to be broken – at least of the ones I'm going to list. That is however, a lot of games to have at least one knock…Maybe you thought of consecutive games played. Cal Ripken, Jr. played in 2,632 straight games before he voluntarily sat out the last game of the season. Breaking that record will be tough as it would involve staying healthy and playing well enough that your manager doesn't want to give you a day off. Hard call here, but no one thought Ripken would break Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 games either.Will anyone ever surpass Cy Young's 511 career wins? I doubt it, but it is not the record I'm going to champion. I've heard that one should never say never, but that's the word I'm going to use here. The career record of shutouts is my choice. Let's take a look.While scrolling online, I saw a list of the top 100 pitchers to throw shutouts. If you don't know who holds the record and how many it is, be patient – I will get to it eventually. For now I will tell you that if a pitcher wants to crack the top 100 list you will need to have 33 shutouts. The list though is so filled with amazing pitchers that I have to throw some names and numbers at you.Two of the pitchers that made the list that will be forever linked for me is Bob Feller and Allie Reynolds. Feller had 44 shutouts to Reynolds 36, but my dad told me he was in Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium when Feller threw a four hitter against the Yankees giving up a single run on a home run to Gene Woodling. Reynolds would out duel Cleveland's ace on this day, throwing a no hitter for the 1-0 shutout. Now you know why these two hurlers are linked for me.Pitching teammates made the list often. In the 1960's the Los Angeles Dodgers had the dynamic twosome of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. Koufax had 40 career shutouts and Big D 49, but there was another pitcher on the staff that also made the list. Claude Osteen was largely overshadowed by the other two stars, but he had 40 shutouts of his own.In 1971 the Baltimore Orioles had four 20-game winners in Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Jim Palmer. Three of them made the list for shutouts as McNally had 33, Cuellar 36 and Palmer 53. Speaking of records that may never be broken, what team will ever have four twenty game winners in the same season again?The Cleveland Indians had three other pitchers make the list though not all of their shutouts were with Cleveland. Gaylord Perry had 53. Luis Tiant and Early Wynn 49. The Detroit Tigers Mickey Lolich threw 41 shutouts.Jim Bunning who hurled for the Tigers and Phillies was one of five pitchers to throw no hitters in each league. He later served some 25 years in the U.S. Congress from Kentucky. He also lost a minor league game to Bill Proverbs, my college baseball coach. My coach suggested it was his claim to fame!Here's some more. Greg Maddux 35, Camilo Pascual 36, Randy Johnson 37, Catfish Hunter 42, Robin Roberts 45,Whitey Ford 45, Tommy John 46 (I suppose he is better know for something else), Roger Clemens 46,Ferguson Jenkins 49, Juan Marichal 52, Steve Carlton 55, and Bob Gibson 56. I'm guessing you are all familiar with these guys.All right. Here is the top ten in reverse order. Don Sutton 58, Bert Blyleven 60, Tom Seaver 61, Nolan Ryan 61, and Warren Spahn 63. Ryan is better known for his seven no hitters and of these bottom five of the top ten the most surprising might be Blyleven.Here's the best of the best. Eddie Plank, 69, Cy Young 76, Christy Mathewson 79 (including 3 in the 1905 World Series), Grover Cleveland Alexander 90 and the man whose record will NEVER be broken (according to yours truly) is Walter Johnson with 110!There is something unique about the top 5. All of them did their thing before I was born which is part of the reason I think Johnson's record will stand forever. Back in the late 1800's into the early 1900's a team had ONE pitcher. Just like any other position, the pitcher was expected to pitch the whole game, day after day. Unless they had a doubleheader. Then he would be the pitcher in BOTH games. It's no wonder many pitchers suffered from dead arms in that era.Of course it did give them the opportunity to excel. Today's pitchers are rarely allowed to throw nine innings – unless perhaps they have a no hitter going. Then they will likely be taken out after giving up a hit.Do you know who the active pitcher is with the most shutouts? It is Justin Verlander, the 43-year-old Detroit veteran with 9. He is followed by Sandy Alcantara, Gerrit Cole,Sonny Gray, Max Scherzer and Shelby Miller who all have five. The record looks pretty safe, doesn't it?It is possible that a young knuckle baller could come along with the ability to throw every other day and break this unbreakable record. After all Phil Niekro had 45 shutouts!Maybe I should never say never, but I feel comfortable using the term here. Congratulations to the Big Train and his 110 shutouts, a record that should last forever.