If nothing else, the past few weeks in sports have been streaky. Roger Federer has won his third-straight Grand Slam, Duke has lost four straight ACC men's basketball games, and the Celtics have lost (and no, this is not a typo) 18 in a row. Where do these streaks stack up against some of the most memorable in sports history? Well, to be honest, they don't even compare. These are 10 that will never be forgotten.
10. Orel Hershiser, 59 scoreless innings. One of the best pitchers not in the Hall of Fame, Hershiser had a legendary season in 1988. Among his achievements were a Cy Young, a Gold Glove, an NLCS MVP, and a World Series MVP. He also threw 59 straight innings without giving up an earned run. He didn't allow a single run in September - even when he threw 10 innings in his final start of the year.
9. Michael Jordan, 10 scoring titles. This one is kind of cheating, since Jordan retired for two years. But in every year in which he was active from 1986 to 1998, MJ never failed to lead the NBA in points. America may never see such a dominant athlete again.
8. Pete Sampras, 31 Wimbledon wins. This streak is only made more memorable by the fact that it ended with a loss to one Roger Federer. Federer's win over Sampras in the fourth round of the 2001 tournament was a milestone achievement for the 19-year-old.
7. The National League, 11 All-Star wins. No sporting event is streakier than baseball's Midsummer Classic. The NL won eight straight games between 1963 and 1970, and then 11 more from '72 to '82. The junior circuit is catching up, however - the AL team hasn't lost since 1996, although thanks to Bud Selig, they have been tied once.
6. New England Patriots, 10 postseason wins. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick go together like victory speeches and Lombardi Trophies. Between 2001 and 2004, the duo was unbeatable in January football.
5. New York Yankees, 14 World Series games. While 10 straight postseason wins is quite a feat, 14 wins in the World Series tops it. In the late nineties, the Yankees were a lean, mean sweeping machine - there was no scarier sight in baseball than Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 4.
4. Tiger Woods, 264 weeks at No. 1. Vijay Singh and David Duval have snuck into the world's top spot from time to time, but for one five-year stretch between 1999 and 2004, Tiger was golf's undisputed king. 2000 may have been his best year, as he won three majors including the U.S. Open by 15 strokes.
3. Cal Ripken, 2,632 games played. Ripken's record-breaking game in 1995 was one of the defining moments of the post-strike era. Not known for his power, Ripken hit one home run during the game, sending Chris Berman into his usual hysterical antics. His 22-minute standing ovation in the fifth inning will never be forgotten (nor will his victory lap around Camden Yards).
2. Boston Celtics, eight NBA titles. As great as Bird and McHale were, they don't compare to the Celtics of the 1960s, led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Tommy Heinsohn. From 1959 to 1966, the Green were unbeatable. Larry, MJ, Magic, Shaq ... you can all eat your hearts out.
1. Joe DiMaggio, 56-game hitting streak. "Records were made to be broken," they say. Every record, that is, except this one. Joe D's summer of 1941 was unlike anything that will ever be seen in baseball again. Not only that, but he also holds the minor league record - he hit safely in 61 consecutive games in the Pacific Coast League in 1933. It could be a long time before someone comes even close to eclipsing Jumpin' Joe's famous record.
-by Evans Clinchy
