In Major League Baseball, the 3000 hit club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have made 3000 or more career base hits. Currently, there are 27 players who have accomplished this. Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros is the latest player to achieve this milestone on June 28, 2007 against the Colorado Rockies in Houston. In addition to the 27 players in the 3000 hit club, there is a total of 85 players with 2500 hits.
A player's 3000th hit is not a surprise, as the player has been gradually approaching the mark for some time. However, teams will often interrupt the game in which the player reaches the mark in order to honor him on reaching a historically significant milestone, a mark that usually emphasizes an excellent baseball career. The first to accomplish the feat was Cap Anson in 1897, before what is known as the "modern era of baseball," making the 3000 hit club one of the oldest markers of greatness in the sport. Getting 3000 hits is generally considered — barring severe bad behavior off the field — one of the most reliable marks of a player who deserves admission to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Not only that, but every eligible player who has reached the 3000 hit club after 1962 (the first year players got inducted on the first ballot) has gotten in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
The 3000 hits mark indicates consistent performance over a long period of time. A position player who starts regularly might typically get 600 at-bats per year, of which a good hitter will bat safely in roughly 180-200—between a .300 and a .333 batting average. Since most players only play for up to 8-10 years at the Major League level, and usually decline significantly in their numbers toward the end of that period, only a player who remains healthy over a long period and can continue to play like a younger man into his late 30s and even his early 40s can successfully amass 3,000 hits.
Rarely mentioned is the 4000 hit club, which only has two members (Pete Rose and Ty Cobb).
After a slump in the 1980s, the 1990s saw seven players reaching 3000 hits, tied with the 1970s for the most of any decade.
See also: List of lifetime MLB hit leaders through history, List of major league players with 2,000 hits.
The one active player in the list is highlighted in bold.
The members
† – Biggio has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2007 season.
‡ – Palmeiro has not officially declared retirement, but has not played since 2005.
Closest Active Players
| Player | Hits | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Bonds | 2922 | Pittsburgh, San Francisco | 1986- |
| Julio Franco | 2585 | Philadelphia, Cleveland, Texas, Chicago (AL), Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New York (NL) | 1982- |
| Omar Vizquel | 2572 | Seattle, Cleveland, San Francisco | 1989- |
| Steve Finley | 2548 | Baltimore, Houston, San Diego, Arizona, Los Angeles (NL), Los Angeles (AL), San Francisco, Colorado | 1989- |
| Ken Griffey, Jr. | 2528 | Seattle, Cincinnati | 1989- |
| Gary Sheffield | 2510 | Milwaukee, San Diego, Florida, Los Angeles (NL), Atlanta, New York (AL), Detroit | 1988- |
4000 hit club
The exclusive "4000 hit club" is an informal term referring to members of an elite group of hitters: those players that have reached 4000 hits on their careers. Currently, only two players have made the 4000 hit club - Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. The next closest player to the club is Hank Aaron, with 3771 hits.
The members
| Player | Hits | Date of 4000th | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Rose | 4256 | April 13, 1984 | Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Montreal | 1963-86 |
| Ty Cobb | 4191[1] | July 18,1927 | Detroit, Philadelphia (AL) | 1905-28 |
References
- Official list of all-time top 50 in hits from MLB.com (updated after every game; includes all members of the 3000 hit club)
- ↑ a b Major League Baseball still lists Cobb's hit total at 4,191, but almost all independent baseball historians have revised the total to 4,189.
- ↑ A number of disagreements exist over the correct hit total for Anson: see "Career hits total".