The Iron Men of Baseball

When Cal Ripken, Jr., voluntarily ended his streak of consecutive games played in September 1998, it marked his first day off in more than 16 years. Millions of Americans took note. Having surpassed Lou Gehrig’s record 2,130 games played some three years before, Ripken was now popularly known as baseball’s “Iron Man,” a nickname that recalled Gehrig (“The Iron Horse”) and celebrated Ripken as an icon of the great American work ethic.
Since the advent of the National League, 124 men have held the distinction of being the active, major league leader in consecutive games played. This chronologically arranged reference book includes remarkably detailed information about their streaks—the inclusive dates, discussion of the notable games, and streak-specific facts and statistics—as well as discussion of their lives and careers. Among the appendices are lists of season-long streaks, by year; all streaks of 500 or more games; and miscellaneous records relating to consecutive games played.

SABR member Marty Friedrich, is a retired Chief Navy Petty Officer who now works for the United States Postal Service. He lives in Lewiston, New York.

Marty Friedrich
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 291
Bibliographic Info: 32 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2431-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Preface      1

1. Paul Hines      3

2. Davy Force      5

3. John Glenn      6

4. John Peters      8

5. Jim O’Rourke      9

6. John Clapp      11

7. Cal McVey      13

8. Paul Hines      15

9. John Morrill      17

10. Jack Burdock      19

11. Bill Phillips      21

12. Jim O’Rourke      22

13. Joe Hornung      23

14. Bill Gleason      26

15. Jimmy Wolf      27

16. Steve Brady      29

17. Charley Jones      30

18. Curt Welch      32

19. Jim O’Rourke      34

20. Bill McClellan      36

21. Henry Larkin      38

22. George Pinkney      40

23. Sid Farrar      42

24. Dave Foutz      44

25. Hub Collins      46

26. Germany Smith      47

27. Bid McPhee      49

28. Tommy McCarthy      51

29. Jake Beckley      53

30. Hugh Duffy      55

31. Steve Brodie      56

32. George Van Haltren      59

33. Kid Gleason      61

34. Gene DeMontreville      63

35. Duff Cooley      64

36. Hugh Duffy      66

37. George Van Haltren      67

38. Jimmy Slagle      69

39. Jesse Burkett      70

40. Jimmy Collins      72

41. Jimmy Barrett      75

42. Topsy Hartsel      77

43. Freddy Parent      78

44. Candy LaChance      80

45. Buck Freeman      82

46. Bill Bradley      84

47. Lee Tannehill      85

48. Freddy Parent      87

49. Sherry Magee      89

50. George Stone      91

51. Jiggs Donahue      92

52. Tom Jones      94

53. Ed Konetchy      96

54. John Hummel      97

55. George McBride      98

56. Eddie Grant      100

57. Eddie Collins      102

58. Zack Wheat      104

59. George McBride      105

60. Ed Konetchy      107

61. Clyde Milan      108

62. Owen “Chief” Wilson      110

63. Sam Crawford      111

64. George Cutshaw      114

65. Ray Chapman      116

66. Del Pratt      118

67. Eddie Collins      119

68. Fred Luderus      121

69. Everett Scott      123

70. Joe Sewell      126

71. Lou Gehrig      129

72. Pete Fox      132

73. Frankie Crosetti      134

74. Stan Hack      136

75. Frank McCormick      137

76. Rudy York      139

77. Danny Litwhiler      141

78. Mickey Vernon      143

79. Billy Herman      144

80. Bill Nicholson      146

81. Bobby Doerr      148

82. Stan Musial      150

83. Phil Cavarretta      152

84. Tommy Holmes      154

85. Eddie Lake      156

86. Mickey Vernon      157

87. Frankie Gustine      159

88. Vern Stephens      160

89. Gil Hodges      162

90. Granny Hamner      164

91. Eddie Yost      165

92. Roy McMillan      167

93. Stan Musial      169

94. Nellie Fox      171

95. Ernie Banks      174

96. Vada Pinson      176

97. Rocky Colavito      177

98. Brooks Robinson      179

99. Ron Santo      181

100. Bill White      182

101. Ken Boyer      184

102. Johnny Callison      185

103. Curt Flood      187

104. Leo Cardenas      188

105. Billy Williams      189

106. Sandy Alomar      192

107. Roy White      194

108. Eddie Brinkman      195

109. Mike Schmidt      197

110. Dave Cash      199

111. Pete Rose      201

112. Steve Garvey      203

113. Pete Rose      206

114. Alfredo Griffin      208

115. Dale Murphy      209

116. Cal Ripken Jr.      211

117. Albert Belle      216

118. Vinny Castilla      218

119. B. J. Surhoff      220

120. Johnny Damon      221

121. Sammy Sosa      223

122. Shawn Green      225

123. Luis Gonzalez      226

124. Miguel Tejada      228

Appendices      231

Bibliography      273

Index      275

“this book should stand as the last word on its significant subject for years to come”—ARBA.