Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played in 1995. John Iacono/SI
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When Angels pitcher John Lackey's scoreless streak ended on Wednesday night at 30 2/3 innings, 28 1/3 short of Orel Hershiser's 1988 record of 59 innings, it was just the latest reminder that baseball's most hallowed records don't fall easily. As impressive as Hershiser's mark is, though, it doesn't make our list of the (modern-era) baseball records least likely to be broken:

1. Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games: As hard as it might be to fathom, this one could fall someday. While modern players rarely take the field every day even if they want to -- most managers believe they benefit from an occasional break -- no skipper wants to snap a streak once it gets long enough to matter. Consider that current Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada passed the 1,000-game mark earlier this month. Still, Ripken's record is 10 full seasons away for Tejada. That's a long time to avoid a pulled hamstring or a nasty flu.

2. Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters: Remember, we're talking about beating a record, not just tying it. That would mean that someone would have to throw three straight no-hitters to erase Vander Meer's name from the record books. Vander Meer finished with a pedestrian 119-121 career record but proved magical in two consecutive starts in 1938. Ewell Blackwell came the closest to matching the feat, following up a no-no with eight no-hit innings in 1947. But lightning definitely won't strike three times.

3. Cy Young's 749 career complete games: To be fair, Young's records of 511 wins (and 316 losses) are also unattainable. But given the way that the use of pitchers has changed over the decades, with five-man starting staffs and a fully stocked bullpen, his complete-games mark is the most laughably out of reach. Consider that if a pitcher averaged 35 complete games (about the number of starts a modern ace receives) for 20 years, he'd still be 49 short. It's been 20 years since a pitcher finished even 20 games -- Fernando Valenzuela with precisely 20 in 1986.

4. Owen Wilson's 36 triples in 1912: And you thought he could just make buddy movies. (Did he bust up his nose diving headfirst into third?) Oh, sorry; this Owen Wilson answered to "Chief" and turned in his career season for the Pirates. He never had more than 14 triples in any other season. (This mark is also the most unreachable by someone named Wilson, edging Hack Wilson's 191 RBIs in 1930, which just missed this list.) The closest anyone has come since the '30s is Lance Johnson ('96) and Willie Wilson ('85), with 21. The biggest impediment is the elimination of ballparks with immense outfield expanses. Consider Sam "Wahoo" Crawford's career triples record of 309 as Fort Knox-secure as well; the active leader is Steve Finley, with 121.

5. Jack Chesbro's 41 wins in 1904: While even seemingly impermeable single-season records can be broken by one transcendent year -- especially for hitters with the aid of a great pharmacist -- the calculus of modern pitching has changed too much for this one to fall. Consider that no pitcher has started as many as 40 games in a season since knuckleballer Charlie Hough did in 1987. Relievers get into more games but can't possibly factor in as many decisions. In this same realm, let's also toss in Chesbro's single-season mark of 48 complete games from 1904 and Big Ed Walsh's 464 IP in 1908 as beyond the pale. Not even Dusty Baker could leave his starters in that long.