[For an introduction to the countdown, click here.]

Today, we begin the list of the most “unbreakable” records in all sports by unveiling numbers 50-46. Enjoy these first five records!

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50. Baltimore Bullets make NBA playoffs with 16-54 record (.229 winning percentage)

This record is the direct result of the NBA’s small size. Eight of the ten NBA teams at the time made the playoffs. So, while the Bullets were bad, the Philadelphia Warriors were even worse. Six of the Bullet’s 16 wins came against the Warriors. They went 10-50 against the league’s other eight teams. They lost their playoff series against the Knicks in two games, but making the playoffs was the only taste of success during their NBA existence. The team folded 14 games into the ’54-55 season. (The name “Bullets” comes from an athletic shoe, Bata Bullets, which was manufactured in the area. They closely resemble Converse All-Stars.)

–Joey Sparks

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49. Fernando Tatis hits 2 grand slams in a single inning

A grand slam is something every fan has seen at some point. However, to have two in one game would be rare, even for a team (the Yankees became the first team ever to hit 3 in one game, just this year). For one player to have 2 in a game…unheard of.

But on April 23, 1999, St. Louis Cardinal’s third-baseman Fernando Tatis did something that no one had ever seen, and never will again. He came to the plate twice in the 3rd inning, both times with the basis loaded. And both times, he put the ball out of the park for a grand slam.

Three other things make this achievement remarkable. (1) Tatis had never hit a grand slam before that inning in his entire career. (2) The two grand slam home runs were Tatis’ only two hits of the game, in five at-bats. (3) Most remarkably, the two grand slams in one inning both came off the same pitcher!

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48. Two Very Fast Goals!

Trying so hard to get back in it? Well, sometimes even the laws of time and space just won’t allow it. The Boston Bruins were down 6-4 at home to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 19, 1987, when Ken Linseman scored with 10 seconds left to give the Bruins hope. But Boston’s comeback dreams were spoiled in almost 4^th dimensional fashion when Blues center Doug Gilmour scored from the faceoff into an empty net at 19:52, sealing the Blues’ 7-5 victory and setting the mark for the fastest two goals by two teams – 2 seconds apart!

Footnote: the Minnesota North Stars came close on Nov. 5, 1988, by scoring twice in three seconds (both with the goaltender in the net– amazing!).

–Jeremiah Tatum

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47. Orel Hershiser pitches 59 consecutive scoreless innings

This record barely makes our list because Hershiser only broke Don Drysedale’s record by one inning. But to pitch 59 innings in a row without a single run being scored against you as an amazing accomplishment.

Oddly, Hershiser ended the 1988 season with the record in tact, then opened the 1989 season by giving up a run in the 1st inning of his first game pitched.

Considering how rare it is for pitchers to even get to 15 or 20 straight innings without giving up a run, this record is going to stand for a long time.

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46. TIE: Two Long College Win Streaks

Okay, we are cheating here by putting two teams in one slot, but both are in sports where parity is lacking, so we feel the records, while amazing, are not as significant and those further down this list.

First, UNC women’s soccer. The UNC women’s team is a powerhouse, but this streak is amazing, even for them. As the game has grown and other teams have become quite good at soccer, the odds of an extremely long streak without a single loss becomes more and more rare. So, imagine going out “on the pitch” 103 times in a row, and never walking away with a loss.

That’s exactly what the Lady Tarheels did from 1986 to 1990.

Second, Trinity College’s squash team. This team never loses. I mean, never. The Bantams (how cool is that?) have won an astonishing 13 consecutive College Squash national titles, and, in those years, have never lost a single match. The streak now stands at 243 matches in a row. While very few colleges play the sport, this streak is still jaw-dropping.

When they won their 12th title, they made some headlines for maybe (maybe?) being a bit too competitive. Here’s a local sportscast on the story.

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5 down, 45 to go. What do you think?