Today’s pro athletes have become specialized – there are either scorers or grinders, speed players or plodders. In baseball, there are table-setters or sluggers, hitting for average and getting on base or swinging for the rafters as power hitters.

That’s why Miguel Cabrera’s Triple Crown – he finished on top of the American League with 44 home runs, 139 RBIs and a .330 batting average – is so special. Not just because he’s the first player since 1967 to capture all three categories, but because he did it at a time when it was considered unachievable.

And that made me think about other, seemingly untouchable sports marks that are overdue to be achieved:

Eight touchdown passes in a game: The NFL is going through a scoring renaissance, with passing and completion marks falling every season. But no quarterback has thrown more than seven touchdowns in a game since Joe Kapp did it for the Minnesota Vikings back in 1969. It’s time for Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Tom Brady to eclipse that mark, and put 48 points on the board with their arms.

Sixty-one home runs in a season – without steroids: In 1961, Roger Maris hit 61 homers with little more than sugar and caffeine in his system. Between 1998 and 2001, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire (twice) and Sammy Sosa (three times) all surpassed the mark with certain anabolic enhancers coursing through their veins. Given that no player has hit 60 since baseball cracked down on steroids in 2001, it appears 61 is still the clean standard. Cabrera might claim the MVP trophy this year, but rookie Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder have a shot at hitting 62 in a season, if they can stay healthy.

The Triple Crown in horse racing: You’d think this one would be achievable given that four horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown in the past decade, but no horse has claimed the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes since Affirmed last did it in 1978. The most recent two-race winner, Big Brown, pulled up with a loose shoe and failed to finish the Belmont in 2008.

The Grand Slam of golf: Tiger Woods almost did it – he won all four Major tournaments consecutively over two calendar years – but no one’s ever done it in the same PGA season. With Tiger and Phil Mickelson in the autumns of their careers, it’s up to young guns like Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald or Dustin Johnson to achieve it.

A perfect NFL season: Pity the poor New England Patriots, who went 17-0 before losing to the New York Giants in the 2007 Super Bowl, costing them the first undefeated season since the Miami Dolphins did it in 1972. So far in 2012, only the 5-0 Atlanta Falcons and 4-0 Houston Texans have a shot – not likely.

Fewer than eight wins in an NHL season: On the other hand, how about breaking a record for futility? In 1974-75, the Washington Capitals went 8-67-5, which still stands as the worst record in an NHL season. Depending how the current lockout is decided, I’m thinking only Columbus has a shot at this mark if they are forced to pare down their already threadbare roster.

Ten points in an NHL game: It’s pretty hard to believe that no player has scored 10 points in a game since Darryl Sittler did it back in 1976. Sixteen players have recorded eight in a game – Wayne Gretzky did it twice and Mario Lemieux did it three times, once in a playoff game. Sam Gagner did it last season – of his 47 points on the year, that one game accounted for 17 per cent of his total points. It only shows that breaking the mark will involve more luck than skill.

Fifty-six consecutive games with a base hit: Pete Rose hit safely in 44 games in 1978, becoming the only player to even come close to Joe DiMaggio’s mark of 56 straight, which was set back in 1941. The closest anyone has come since then was Jimmy Rollins in 2005-06, with 38. Next to Cal Ripkin’s 2,632 consecutive games played mark, this one is considered among the most difficult to surpass.

One hundred points in an NBA game: Twenty different players have scored 60 points in a game, but only one – Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 – has hit the century mark (among other unthinkable milestones, apparently). Kobe Bryant has come closest, recording 81 in  a game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Until someone invents a player as big as Shaquille O’Neal with Kobe’s skills, this one’s going to be tough to beat.

Ninety-two goals in an NHL season: When Wayne Gretzky set this one in the high-octane days of 1982, it seemed like it would be a short-lived record. But it’s now been 30 years since the mark was set. Alex Ovechkin had 65 in 2008 and Steven Stamkos notched 60 last season, but no one has had over 70 since Teemu Selanne did it as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets in 1993.

But at this point, just one goal in one NHL game would be nice.