The 3,000 Hit Club

Cap Anson

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

Unknown Date in 1897

Only player to collect 3,000 hits in the 19th century… Held all-time hit record until broken by Honus Wagner in 1914… Due to the unreliable nature of game-by-game stats in the 19th century, we are unsure when Anson collected his 3,000th hit, though it did occur at some point in 1897…

Honus Wagner

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 9, 1914, double off Erskine Mayer of the Phillies at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

Later that season, Wagner broke Anson’s record for most hits in the National League…

Nap Lajoie

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 27, 1914, double off Marty McHale of New York, at League Park in Cleveland.

First player to collect his 3,000th hit in the American League… The team was known as the “Naps” in his honor at the time of his 3,000th hit… Had 2,522 of his 3,243 career hits in the AL, and 721 in the NL… 

Ty Cobb

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 19, 1921, single off Elmer Myers of the Red Sox in second game of a doubleheader at Navin Field in Detroit.

3,000th hit was his fifth in the doubleheader that day… Cobb was in his first season as player/manager of Detroit… Ty hit .389 in the 1921… At 34, Cobb was the youngest player to reach 3,000 hits…

Tris Speaker

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

May 17, 1925, single off Tom Zachary of the Senators.

Collected three hits on the day he got his 3,000th, including his 646th double, a record he kept adding to… Raised his average to .388 with his three hits that day. Speaker ended the 1925 season with a .389 average… 

Eddie Collins

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 3, 1925, single off Rip Collins of the Tigers in Detroit at Navin Field.

Second player to collect his 3,000th hit in Detroit at Navin Field…

Paul Waner

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 19, 1942, single off Rip Sewell of the Pirates.

Collected his 3,000th hit as a member of the Boston Braves… Had eight 200-hit seasons… Won MVP Award in his second season… Captured three NL batting titles… Had 62 doubles in 1932… First player to collect his 3,000th hit in more than 17 years…

Stan Musial

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

May 13, 1958, pinch-hit double at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Retired with 3,630 hits, an NL record… Had exactly 1,815 hits at home, and 1,815 hits in road games… Won seven NL batting titles, a figure surpassed only by Honus Wagner…

Henry Aaron

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

May 17, 1970, single off Wayne Simpson of the Reds in Cincinnati.

Collected 1686 hits after his 30th birthday, the second most in MLB history… Pete Rose git his 1,364th hit in the same game that Aaron got his 3,000th… Became first player with 500 career home runs and 3,000 hits…

Willie Mays

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

July 3, 1970, single off Don Sutton of the Dodgers, at Candlestick Park.

Became second player with 500 home runs to reach 3,000 hits, joining Henry Aaron… Only player to get his 3,000th hit off a future Hall of Famer… 

Roberto Clemente

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 30, 1972, double off Jon Matlack of the Mets in Pittsburgh.

This was his final regular season hit. That offseason, Clemente died in a plane crash while delivering supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua… 

Al Kaline

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 24, 1974, double off Dave McNally of the Orioles.

Kaline collected his 3,000th hit in his hometown of Baltimore, with his mother and father watching from the stands at Memorial Stadium… Had 1,200 hits through the age of 25, the second most in baseball history (behind Ty Cobb)…

Pete Rose

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

May 5, 1978, single off Steve Rogers of the Expos, in Cincinnati.

Eventually passed Ty Cobb for most hits in MLB history… Retired with 4,256 hits… Had a record ten 200-hit seasons (later matched by Ichiro Suzuki)… Former teammate Tony Perez was playing first base when Rose got his 3,000th hit, greeting Pete after the milestone, which occurred at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium… Fifth player/manager to get his 3,000th hit, along with Adrian “Cap” Anson, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Eddie Collins… Second player to collect his 3,000th hit in his hometown (joining Al Kaline)…

Lou Brock

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 13, 1979, single off Dennis Lamp of the Cubs, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Hit a line drive that caromed off pitcher Dennis Lamp and bounced toward the left side of the infield… Hit came against the team that originally signed him, the Cubs… 

Carl Yastrzemski

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 12, 1979, single off Jim Beattie of the Yankees, in Boston.

Second player to join the 3,000 hit club in 1979, a month after Lou Brock… First player to record his 3,000th hit at Fenway Park… Yaz has the lowest career batting average of 3,000-hit club members (.285)…

Rod Carew

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 4, 1985, single off Frank Viola of the Twins, at Anaheim Stadium.

Carew collected his 3,000th hit off his former club, the Twins… On the same day, Tom Seaver won his 300th game elsewhere in baseball… Carew was the first player born in Panama to collect 3,000 hits… Won seven batting titles, a figure surpassed in the American League only by Ty Cobb…

Robin Yount

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 9, 1992, single off Jose Mesa of the Indians, at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

The third-youngest player to reach 3,000 hits, at 36 years, 11 months, and 24 days… Yount is one of only four batters to have 2,000 hits before their 30th birthday (the others are Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, and Alex Rodriguez)… First and only player to have recorded his hit wearing a Brewers uniform… Paul Molitor was on-deck when Yount got his 3,000th hit. Four years later he would record his 3,000th…

George Brett

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 30, 1992, single off Tom Fortugno

Only man to get four hits in the game that he got his 3,000th career hit… Achieved his milestone on the 20th anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit… Brett was picked off first base after getting his 3,000th hit… Brett’s brother Ken was in the ballpark in Anaheim as a broadcaster when George got his hit… Only player to win batting titles in three different decades… First player who was primarily a third baseman to reach 3,000 hits…

Dave Winfield

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 16, 1993, infield single off Kelly Downs of the Oakland Athletics, at Minnesota.

One of only five players to get 3,000 hits but never have a 200-hit season… First player to get his 3,000th hit as a member of the Twins… Like Al Kaline and Pete Rose, Winfield got his milestone hit in his hometown (he was born in St. Paul, MN)…

Eddie Murray

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 30, 1995, single off Mike Trombley of the Twins.

One of the few players to collect 500 home runs and 3,000 hits (he was the third)… Collected his milestone hit with the Indians, in Cleveland… Was third player to get his 3,000th hit as a member of the Indians (the others are Nap Lajoie and Tris Speaker)… Never had a 200-hit season… 

Paul Molitor

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

September 16, 1996, triple off Jose Rosado of the Royals.

Collected his 3,000th hit three years to the day that fellow St. Paul native Dave Winfield collected his 3,000th… Had only 1.367 hits through age 30, the fourth-least among players who reached 3,000 hits… First player to hit a triple for his 3,000th hit… Molitor is the first player who primarily played DH who got 3,000 hits…

Tony Gwynn

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 6, 1999, single off Dan Smith of the Montreal Expos, at Olympic Stadium.

First player to collect his 3,000th hit in Canada… Milestone hit came six years to the day that Gwynn collected his 2,000th career hit… Won eight batting titles, tied for most by an National League player with Honus Wagner…

Wade Boggs

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 7, 1999, home run off Chris Haney of Cleveland, at Tropicana Field in Tampa.

First batter to get a home run for his 3,000th hit… First player on the Devil Rays to get a 3,000th hit… Got his milestone hit one day after Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th… Second third baseman to get 3,000 hits… Marked the fifth time that two players got their 3,000th hit in the same season…

Cal Ripken Jr.

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

April 15, 2000, single off Hector Carrasco of the Twins, in Minnesota.

Collected three hits in the game that got him 3,000, the final one the milestone… First Baltimore player to reach 3,000 hits… First shortstop to reach 3,000 hits since Honus Wagner…

Rickey Henderson

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

October 7, 2001, double off John Thomson of Colorado.

Collected his 3,000th hit at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego… Milestone came in the final game of Tony Gwynn’s career… One of the few players in the 3,000-hit club who never had a 200-hit season… Holds records for most walks and runs scored all-time… Second player to record his 3,000th hit as a Padre… Second member of 3,000-hit club to play Major League Baseball in four decades (the other is Willie Mays)… Played in 1983, meaning that there were 12 members of the 3,000 hit club active that season, the most ever…

Rafael Palmeiro

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

July 15, 2005, double off Mariners pitcher Joel Piñeiro, in Seattle.

The fourth member of the 3,000-hit club with 500 career home runs… Third foreign-born player to collect 3,000 hits, joining Roberto Clemenre and Rod Carew…

Craig Biggio

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 28, 2007, single off Aaron Cook of the Rockies, in Houston.

Had five hits on his milestone night… Was thrown out trying to stretch his 3,000th hit into a double… First Astro to get 3,000 hits… Only member of 3,000-hit club who played regularly at catcher at some point in his career…

Derek Jeter

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

July 9, 2011, home run off David Price of the Rays, at Yankee Stadium.

First Yankee to collect 3,000 hits… First 3,000th hit at Yankee Stadium (original or second one)…

Alex Rodriguez

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

June 19, 2015, home run off Justin Verlander of the Tigers, at Yankee Stadium.

Third batter to get a home run for his 3,000th hit… Second Yankee to get 3,000 hits… Second player suspended for steroid use to reach the 3,000-hit mark (joining Rafael Palmeiro)… Future member of the 3,000 hit club was on the other side of the milestone boxscore (Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera)…

Ichiro Suzuki

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

August 7, 2016, triple off Chris Rusin of the Rockies, at Coors Field in Denver.

Frist Japanese-born player to join the 3,000-hit club… Did not get his first MLB hit until after his 27th birthday… Got more than 2,000 hits AFTER his 30th birthday (the only other player to do that was Pete Rose)… Second player to record a triple for his 3,000th hit… First member of the Marlins to get his 3,000th hit…

Adrian Beltre

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

July 30, 2017, double off Wade Miley of the Orioles, in Arlington, Texas.

First Dominican-born player to collect 3,000 hits… Second-lowest career batting average among 3,000-hit club members…

Albert Pujols

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

May 4, 2018, broken-bat single off Mike Leake of the Mariners in Seattle.

Sixth player with 500 career homers AND 3,000 hits… Second player with 600 doubles, 600 homers, and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron… Collected 3,000th hit as a member of the Angels, joining Rod Carew as the only players to do so…

Miguel Cabrera

DATE OF 3,000th HIT:

April 22, 2022

Seventh player with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs… Won the triple crown in 2012, the first player to do that in 45 years… Only player to win a Triple Crown, hit 500 homers, AND collect 3,000 hits… Became third player to record his 3,000th hit wearing a Detroit Tigers uniform… Miggy’s 1,000th hit and 2,000th hit were home runs…