Significant numbers in sports..

[Syringer]

Whenever you cite 511, 56, 755, 61, 73, 2632, 4256 and many many more, any baseball purist will easily tell you what those numbers mean.

Why is it then that it's just in baseball that these numbers exist to the extent that they do?

In the NFL there are no more than a handful that I can spout off my head that has significance conected to it..i.e. 49 (NFL record for TD passes in a season) or 295..record for most rush yards in a game. Otherwise for football and basketball, there really aren't numbers that just are as easily as associated with something significant as 56, 714, or 755..

 

[hypn0tik]

Baseball itself is ridiculously boring to watch. They have intensive statistics in order to pass the time while watching it.

 

[mugs]

I'm not a hardcore baseball fan, but of the list you posted I could have only listed 3 off the top of my head, and two are records for the same thing.

I do recognize what all of those numbers are other than 511 (hitting streak, home runs, home runs (old), home runs (new), consecutive games and career hits?)

511 = wins by a pitcher?

 

[Syringer]

Yup, Cy Young..a number that no one will ever come close to for as long as we live, in fact they're saying that Glavine, if he does it, may be the last 300 game winner ever..

 

[mugs]

I voted for 61 because I liked the movie.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Whenever you cite 511, 56, 755, 61, 73, 2632, 4256 and many many more, any baseball purist will easily tell you what those numbers mean.

Why is it then that it's just in baseball that these numbers exist to the extent that they do?

In the NFL there are no more than a handful that I can spout off my head that has significance conected to it..i.e. 49 (NFL record for TD passes in a season) or 295..record for most rush yards in a game. Otherwise for football and basketball, there really aren't numbers that just are as easily as associated with something significant as 56, 714, or 755..

Baseball has the most tradition out of any sport in the US. It's also very stats oriented. All this makes their records very hallowed.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Yup, Cy Young..a number that no one will ever come close to for as long as we live, in fact they're saying that Glavine, if he does it, may be the last 300 game winner ever..

I think the Big Unit will get there.

 

[Gunslinger08]

I'd say after 511, 2632 & 56 are the least likely to be surpassed.

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Whenever you cite 511, 56, 755, 61, 73, 2632, 4256 and many many more, any baseball purist will easily tell you what those numbers mean.

Why is it then that it's just in baseball that these numbers exist to the extent that they do?

In the NFL there are no more than a handful that I can spout off my head that has significance conected to it..i.e. 49 (NFL record for TD passes in a season) or 295..record for most rush yards in a game. Otherwise for football and basketball, there really aren't numbers that just are as easily as associated with something significant as 56, 714, or 755..

The NFL isn't as attached to numbers because they didn't have reliable stats until the 1960s - not to mention that one of the more notable individual stats (sacks) wasn't created until the 1980s.

Baseball, on the other hand, has reasonably reliable statistical data going back to the 1890s.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
I'd say after 511, 2632 & 56 are the least likely to be surpassed.

In an offensive era such as now, I wouldn't count out 56 from being broken. After all, everybody said the same for 2,130.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Syringer
Yup, Cy Young..a number that no one will ever come close to for as long as we live, in fact they're saying that Glavine, if he does it, may be the last 300 game winner ever..

I think the Big Unit will get there.

It will be tough..he started out this year pretty badly but was able to pick it up. However with 20 more wins needed he might need to go at least 2 more years to get there, and I don't seem him going more than 1.

And I don't see him going mor than one more season unless he's maybe at 299 after another 17-19 win season and come in for a relief appearance

 

[sandorski]

99

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: sandorski
99

Referring to Gretzky's number?

If you want to talk about jersey numbers, I think 23 is probably the most famous. At least nowadays. Years ago I think it would be 3.

Gretzky's number is pretty darned famous though.

 

[chuckywang]

Another number: .400

 

[Syringer]

Yeah there really isn't anything like it..except for maybe Wilt's 50 points a game, both of which were set around the same time.

 

[abefastcash]

what about is 100 pts in one game? or 10,000 ( the number of woman he claimed to have slept with )

 

[Inspector Jihad]

72 for the bulls wins...maybe 81 for kobe...or how about 400 runs for lara

 

[anxi80]

i refuse to acknowledge 73 and if ryan howard was to hit 62 this season i would deem him the single-season homerun leader in my eyes.