When Cal Ripken, Jr., voluntarily ended his streak of consecutive games played in September 1998, it marked his first day off in more than 16 years. Millions of Americans took note. Having surpassed Lou Gehrig's record 2,130 games played some three years before, Ripken was now popularly known as baseball's "Iron Man," a nickname that recalled Gehrig ("The Iron Horse") and celebrated Ripken as an icon of the great American work ethic.
Since the advent of the National League, 124 men have held the distinction of being the active, major league leader in consecutive games played. This chronologically arranged reference book includes remarkably detailed information about their streaks—the inclusive dates, discussion of the notable games, and streak-specific facts and statistics—as well as discussion of their lives and careers. Among the appendices are lists of season-long streaks, by year; all streaks of 500 or more games; and miscellaneous records relating to consecutive games played.