3000 hit club

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 28 players who have accomplished this.

In general, the 3000th hit is not a surprise, as the player has been 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 in what has been an excellent baseball career. The club's "founding member" was Cap Anson in 1897, even 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 entering the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 3000 hits mark indicates good performance over a long period of time. An average ball player gets approximately 600-700 at-bats per year, of which a good player will bat safely in roughly 180-233—between a .300 and a .333 batting average. At this pace, a ball player will reach 3,000 hits in between 12 and 17 seasons. 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.

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 members[]

Player	Hits	Date of 3000th	Teams	Seasons
Pete Rose	4256	May 5, 1978	Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Montreal	1963-1986
Ty Cobb	4191	August 19,1921	Detroit, Philadelphia (AL)	1905-1928
Hank Aaron	3771	May 17, 1970	Milwaukee/Atlanta, Milwaukee	1954-1976
Stan Musial	3630	May 13, 1958	St. Louis	1941-1944, 1946-1963
Tris Speaker	3514	May 17, 1925	Boston, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia (AL)	1907-1928
Carl Yastrzemski	3419	September 12, 1979	Boston	1961-1983
Honus Wagner	3415	June 9, 1914	Louisville, Pittsburgh	1897-1917
Paul Molitor	3319	September 16, 1996	Milwaukee, Toronto, Minnesota	1978-1998
Eddie Collins	3315	June 3, 1925	Philadelphia (AL), Chicago (AL)	1906-1930
Willie Mays	3283	July 18, 1970	New York (NL)/San Francisco, New York (NL)	1951-1973
Eddie Murray	3255	June 30, 1995	Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York (NL), Cleveland, Anaheim	1977-1997
Nap Lajoie	3242	September 27, 1914	Philadelphia (AL), Cleveland	1896-1916
Cal Ripken, Jr.	3184	April 15, 2000	Baltimore	1981-200
George Brett	31563154	July 9, 2011September 30, 1992	New York (AL) Kansas City	1973-1993
Paul Waner	3152	June 19, 1942	Pittsburgh, Boston (NL), Brooklyn, New York (AL)	1926-1945
Robin Yount	3142	September 9, 1992	Milwaukee	1974-1993
Tony Gwynn	3141	August 6, 1999	San Diego	1982-2001
Dave Winfield	3110	September 16, 1993	San Diego, New York (AL), California, Toronto, Minnesota, Cleveland	1973-1995
Craig Biggio	3060	June 28, 2007	Houston	1988-2007
Cap Anson	3055	July 18, 1897	Chicago (NL)	1876-1897
Rickey Henderson	3055	October 7, 2001	Oakland, New York (AL), Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, New York (NL), Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles	1979-2003 (Hasn't officially declared retirement and played in several games in 2004 but hasn't played since as of now)
Rod Carew	3053	August 4, 1985	Minnesota, California	1967-1985
Lou Brock	3023	August 13, 1979	Chicago (NL), St. Louis	1961-1979
Rafael Palmeiro	3020	July 15, 2005	Chicago (NL), Texas, Baltimore	1986-2005 (Still an active player but hasn't played since 2005)
Wade Boggs	3010	August 7, 1999	Boston, New York (AL), Tampa Bay	1982-1999
Al Kaline	3007	September 24, 1974	Detroit	1953-1974

Roberto Clemente	3000	September 30, 1972	Pittsburgh	1955-1972