The Sanctity of Records in Sports

Too much is made of the sanctity of records in sports, particularly in baseball. Records can be fascinating but they are of little use as yardsticks. There have just been too many changes in the games over the decades to make statistical comparisons valid. To take just one example of many, how can you compare contemporary starting pitchers who might average 6 innings per outing with previous generations who routinely completed 30 or 40 games a year.