3,000 hit club

The 3,000 hit club is the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cap Anson was the first to do so, although his precise career hit total is unclear.[lower-alpha 1] Two players—Nap Lajoie and Honus Wagner—reached 3,000 hits during the 1914 season. Ty Cobb became the club's fourth member in 1921 and became the first player in MLB history to reach 4,000 hits in 1927; he ultimately finished his career with 4,191.[7][lower-alpha 2] Pete Rose became the second player to reach 4,000 hits on April 13, 1984 while playing for the Montreal Expos.[12] Cobb, also the major leagues' all-time career batting average leader, remained the MLB hit leader until September 11, 1985, when Rose collected his 4,192nd hit.[13] Rose, the current record holder, finished his career with 4,256 hits. Roberto Clemente's career ended with precisely 3,000 hits, reaching the mark in the last at bat of his career on September 30, 1972.[14][15][lower-alpha 3]

Pete Rose is the all-time MLB hits leader with 4,256 hits

In total, 32 players have reached the 3,000 hit mark in MLB history. Of these, 17 were right-handed batters, 13 were left-handed, and two were switch hitters. Ten of these players have played for only one major league team. Six players—Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez—are also members of the 500 home run club. At .367, Cobb holds the highest career batting average among club members, while Cal Ripken Jr. holds the lowest at .276. Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Wade Boggs are the only players to hit a home run for their 3,000th hit, and Paul Molitor and Ichiro Suzuki are the only players to hit a triple for their 3,000th; all others hit a single or double. Craig Biggio was thrown out at second base attempting to stretch his 3,000th hit, a single, into a double.[18] Biggio and Jeter are the only players whose 3,000th hit came in a game where they had five hits; Jeter reached base safely in all of his at bats.[19] The most recent player to join the club is Pujols, who collected his 3,000th hit on May 4, 2018, while playing for the Los Angeles Angels.[20]

Baseball writer Josh Pahigian writes that reaching 3,000 hits has been "long considered the greatest measure of superior bat handling", and it is often described as a guarantee of eventual entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.[21][22][23][24] All eligible players with 3,000 or more career hits with the exception of Palmeiro, whose career has been tainted by steroid allegations, have been elected to the Hall, and since 1962 all who have been inducted were elected on the first ballot, except for Biggio. Rose is ineligible for the Hall of Fame because he was permanently banned from baseball in 1989.[25][26] After four years on the ballot, Palmeiro failed to be named on 5% of ballots in 2014, and accordingly his name was removed from the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot for future elections, although it is possible that the Veterans Committee could select him.[27] Twenty-one different teams have had a player reach 3,000 hits.