191 RBIs

[TimmyB]

No Way!

If we didn't see 191 between '97 and '01, we aren't going to see it. Too many mashers and not enough table setters. (and, yes, it looks like a correction is on the way -- and, no, I don't mean AAA players in the bigs next year... )

[VNV Nation]

I dunno -- the way baseball is going, it's going to be harder for the table setters -- it already is.

[TimmyB]

I wasn't too clear there, was I? That's what I meant -- the correction-in-progress is going to make table setting (relatively) tougher.

[HistoryMajor46]

The only two players I see breaking that mark when they are healthy all season is Manny Ramirez or Juan Gonzalez-maybe A-Rod too.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Yes, there is a definite chance for this to be broken, as long as there is baseball in Colorado.

[wskksw]

being suitably wary of using 'never'...nope.
(this addresses the liklihood of one player, not a flock of them breaking the record)
there are a couple of reasons for this: during mcguire's early run at 60/61--his fifty-six year--it was easy to caution people that the hr record was going to be no great shakes; i didn't have any particular interest in it beyond as a footnote.
it broke down as in a moderately hot week, a hitter can nail 6 hrs, 10% of what was needed. in a very good week, (8 hr), over an eighth of the requisite number. a few of those weeks, and pish, the record moves west of the hudson. no biggie.
to accumulate 10% of wilson's 191 (yes, kiddies), takes one heck of a week. and it is very difficult to imagine anyone collecting three, or four, of those weeks in a season.
the other reason, is that rbis are per force a team function. among the things required for a tilt at the rbi record, are very good obas in front of the player in question. obivious, you say. true. but, as the varience among players drops--except for the tail of performance, players are becoming closer, and closer, to the norms--, the chances of having exceptional oba in front of a great hitter having a super year become very tiny.
of course, the context of mlb could change--sixteen runs per game combined could yield a handful of 200+ rbi seasons over a few years, but at that point, who'd care?

[baseballtodd]

Hack's record is safe for all-time for three reasons:

1.) Guys like Bonds get pitched around too much - way too much.
2.) You have to have several guys in front of you able to get on base and I don't think there's enough good leadoff men and table setters in the game today (too many Sammys, not enough Ichiros).
3.) The labor agreement or lack thereof. When strikes happen, you lose games and chances to drive in runs obviously. As long as there is always a threat of a work stoppage, I don't see anyone mounting a serious challenge to 190 (or 191, whatever they say.)