An iron man is an athlete of unusual physical endurance. [1] This durability is generally measured by an athlete's ability to play without missing a game for an extended period of time, sometimes even for an entire career. [2] [3] Some of the more notable athletes with significant streaks in sports history include baseball's Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr., [2] American football's Brett Favre [4] and Joe Thomas, [5] basketball's A.C. Green, [6] stock car racing's Jeff Gordon [7] and hockey's Phil Kessel and Keith Yandle. [8]
The term "iron man" as it pertains to sports longevity has origins in Major League Baseball pitcher Joe McGinnity, who was known for pitching in back-to-back doubleheaders and leading his league in innings pitched four times in five seasons from 1900 to 1904. He also played professionally until age 54. His nickname was "Iron Man", although he said the name originated from his off-season work at his family's foundry business. [9]
In 1939, an athlete noted for endurance was recognized as an "iron man" by the Boston Post when Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games ended when he asked his manager to take him out of the lineup because of his fading abilities. Gehrig had been a consistent performer on the field, attaining a yearly batting average of at least .300 throughout his career until the previous season, when he fell to .295. [10]
A common characteristic of an iron man is the ability to play through injury. Gehrig displayed this trait in 1934 when his streak was in jeopardy of being snapped at 1,426 games. He was injured during a game and was pulled from the lineup. The next day, after receiving heat treatments and massages for a stiff back, he was able to get a hit before leaving the contest. [11] Gehrig's record stood for 56 years until surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995. [12] [13] After Ripken's record-breaking streak garnered attention from the media, [14] the NBA's A.C. Green received attention, in 1997, for his streak of consecutive games played, as he was approaching Randy Smith's record. [15] [16] In 1999, Brett Favre set the record for consecutive starts by a quarterback when he started his 117th consecutive game, surpassing the mark established by Ron Jaworski. [17] In 2009, Favre would surpass Jim Marshall's starts streak at any position with his 271st consecutive start. [18]
An iron man streak can also end for disciplinary reasons. In 2015, Matt Kenseth was suspended after he caused a crash that ended Joey Logano's race at Martinsville. NASCAR issued a two-race suspension, effectively ending his streak at 571, [19] leaving him ineligible for pursuing Jeff Gordon's 797-race streak.
In international cricket, players can be taken out of the squad for injuries, discipline, poor form, illegal bowling action, or unfavourable conditions for certain bowlers, or simply as a healthy break when they are rested during long tours or in a calendar year with hectic schedules. In 2016, Brendon McCullum finished his international career having started in 101 consecutive tests from debut; this is notable not only because he was never dropped for poor form or poor health, but because New Zealand has a far leaner schedule than Australia and England; even though he is nowhere near Allan Border's actual record of 153, they were not from debut. [20] Brendon McCullum also started 122 consecutive One-Day Internationals from 2004 to 2010, the same as Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka with 122 each, but the record is held by Sachin Tendulkar whose streak was snapped by an injury. [21]
In the National Football League, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons have the longest active streak among quarterbacks and among all players, respectively.[ citation needed ]
| * | Broke record on current streak |
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Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr., nicknamed "the Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire 21-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his position's most productive offensive players, Ripken compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in during his career, and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP), in 1983 and 1991.
Iron Man, Ironman or Ironmen may refer to:
The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in the city of Aberdeen in Harford County, Maryland. They are the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and compete in the South Atlantic League. They were previously members of the New York–Penn League from 1977 to 2020, and of the High-A East in 2021.
Douglas McArthur Jarvis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Canadiens.
Calvin Edwin Ripken Sr. was an American baseball player, scout, coach and manager. who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as coach and manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr. and Billy played.
Sachio Kinugasa was a Japanese professional baseball third baseman for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1965 to 1987. He was nicknamed Tetsujin, meaning "Iron Man". He played in a record-breaking 2,215 consecutive games, having surpassed Lou Gehrig's record by 1987.
Andrew Cogliano is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). On December 31, 2013, Cogliano became the 20th player in NHL history to play 500 consecutive games, and only the fifth to do so from the beginning of his NHL career. On November 4, 2017, Cogliano played in his 800th consecutive game, placing him in fourth place on the NHL's most consecutive games played list. The streak ended at 830 games on January 14, 2018, when Cogliano was suspended for two games. Cogliano won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
Philip Joseph Kessel Jr. is an American professional ice hockey winger who is an unrestricted free agent. He has previously played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kessel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning back-to-back championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and with the Golden Knights in 2023.
Brett Lorenzo Favre is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2010, including 297 regular season games, the most in league history. He was also the first NFL quarterback to obtain 70,000 yards, 10,000 passes, 6,000 completions, 500 touchdowns, and victories over all 32 teams.
Andrew Alexander "Spuds" Hebenton was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger, and holds the record for the longest streak without missing a game in professional hockey history.
Keith Michael Yandle is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Yandle was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the fourth round, 105th overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played 1,109 games for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.
The 1998 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League East with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses, the first of 14 consecutive losing seasons.
The 1984 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing fifth in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 77 losses.
Henry Louis Gehrig Jr. was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him his nickname "the Iron Horse". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times, a Triple Crown winner once, an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice, and a member of six World Series champion teams. He had a career .340 batting average, .632 slugging average, and a .447 on-base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBI). Gehrig is one of 18 players to hit four home runs in a single game. He still has the highest ratio of runs scored plus runs batted in per 100 plate appearances (35.08) and per 100 games (156.7) among Hall of Fame players. In 1939, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number (4) retired by a team.
Ivan Vladimirovich Provorov is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers.
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