3,000 hit club

In Major League Baseball, the 3,000 hit club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have made 3000 or more career base hits. Currently, there are 28 players who have accomplished this. Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees is the latest player to achieve this milestone, having done so on July 9, 2011 against the Tampa Bay Rays in New York. In addition to the 28 players in the 3,000 hit club, there is a total of 93 players with 2,500 hits.

A player's 3,000th 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 3,000 hit club one of the oldest markers of greatness in the sport. Getting 3,000 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 Hall of Fame. Not only that, but all but one eligible player who has reached the 3,000 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 3,000 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 4,000 hit club, which only has two members (Pete Rose and Ty Cobb). Cobb was both the fastest and the youngest player in history to achieve 3,000 hits. He reached the mark in his 2,135th game when he was 34 years, 243 days old. Cobb was also the youngest player to reach 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 hits. Cobb achieved all these feats while playing in the American League. Tony Gwynn was the fastest player in National League history to hit the 3,000 mark; he reached the mark in his 2,284th game. Hank Aaron was the youngest NL player to accomplish 3,000 hits; he achieved the feat at 36 years, 100 days old.

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: Career Hit Leaders.

[edit] The members

[edit] Closest Active Players

as of November 30, 2012

[edit] Just Missed the Cut

[edit] 4,000 hit club

The exclusive "4,000 hit club" is an informal term referring to members of an elite group of hitters: those players that have reached 4,000 hits on their careers. Currently, only two players have made the 4,000 hit club - Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. The next closest player to the club is Hank Aaron, with 3,771 hits.

[edit] The members

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} 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.
2. ↑ A number of disagreements exist over the correct hit total for Anson: see "Career hits total".