Derek Jeter didn’t just join the 3,000 hit club. He broke the door down. By driving a 3-2 breaking pitch deep into the left field seats, the Yankees’ shortstop not only became the 28th player to reach the milestone, but the first to do it in pinstripes. In addition to his historic homer, Jeter added four more hits, including an eighth inning single that produced the game winning run. The Captain has always had a flair for the dramatic, but no one could have expected such a vintage performance.
Since the advent of professional baseball in 1871, 17,614 players have crossed the white lines, but only 28 have reached 3,000 hits, according to baseball-reference.com. Needless to say, the fraternity is an exclusive one. What makes the benchmark even more impressive is that while the significance of certain other statistics has waned over the 141-year history of the game, hits have always remained a defining measurement of ability, consistency, and longevity. Getting to 3,000 means just as much now as it ever did.
In honor of Jeter’s historic accomplishment, listed below is the rest of the 3,000 hit club along with details about how they gained admittance.
The Evolution of the 3,000 Hit Club
| Player (Age) | Hit | Date | Team | Opponent | Pitcher |
| Cap Anson* | ? | ? | Cubs | ? | ? |
| Honus Wagner (40) | 1B | 6/9/1914 | Pirates | Phillies | Erskine Mayer |
| Nap Lajoie (39) | 2B | 9/27/1914 | Indians | Yankees | Marty McHale |
| Ty Cobb (34) | 1B | 8/19/1921 | Tigers | Red Sox | Elmer Myers |
| Tris Speaker (37) | 1B | 5/17/1925 | Indians | Senators | Tom Zachary |
| Eddie Collins (38) | 1B | 6/3/1925 | White Sox | Tigers | Rip Collins |
| Paul Waner (39) | 1B | 6/19/1942 | Braves | Pirates | Rip Sewell |
| Stan Musial (37) | 2B | 5/13/1958 | Cardinals | Cubs | Moe Drabowsky |
| Hank Aaron (36) | 1B | 5/17/1970 | Braves | Reds | Wayne Simpson |
| Willie Mays (39) | 1B | 7/18/1970 | Giants | Expos | Mike Wegener |
| Roberto Clemente (37) | 2B | 9/30/1972 | Pirates | Mets | Jon Matlack |
| Al Kaline (39) | 2B | 9/24/1974 | Tigers | Orioles | Dave McNally |
| Pete Rose (37) | 1B | 5/5/1978 | Reds | Expos | Steve Rogers |
| Lou Brock (40) | 1B | 8/13/1979 | Cardinals | Cubs | Dennis Lamp |
| Carl Yastrzemski (39) | 1B | 9/12/1979 | Red Sox | Yankees | Jim Beattie |
| Rod Carew (39) | 1B | 8/4/1985 | Angels | Twins | Frank Viola |
| Robin Yount (36) | 1B | 9/9/1992 | Brewers | Indians | Jose Mesa |
| George Brett (39) | 1B | 9/30/1992 | Royals | Angels | Tim Fortugno |
| Dave Winfield (41) | 1B | 9/16/1993 | Twins | Athletics | Dennis Eckersley |
| Eddie Murray (39) | 1B | 6/30/1995 | Indians | Twins | Mike Trombley |
| Paul Molitor (39) | 3B | 9/16/1996 | Twins | Royals | Jose Rosado |
| Tony Gwynn (39) | 1B | 8/6/1999 | Padres | Expos | Dan Smith |
| Wade Boggs (41) | HR | 8/7/1999 | Devil Rays | Indians | Chris Haney |
| Cal Ripken (39) | 1B | 4/15/2000 | Orioles | Twins | Hector Carrasco |
| Rickey Henderson (42) | 2B | 10/7/2001 | Padres | Rockies | John Thomson |
| Rafael Palmeiro (40) | 2B | 7/15/2005 | Orioles | Mariners | Joel Pineiro |
| Craig Biggio (41) | 1B | 6/28/2007 | Astros | Rockies | Aaron Cook |
| Derek Jeter (37) | HR | 7/8/2011 | Yankees | Rays | David Price |
*Due to record keeping errors and rule interpretations, Cap Anson’s reported hit total ranges from 2,995 to over 3,500.
Note: Home team in bold.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
- Derek Jeter is the only hitter to go 5-5 in the same game he recorded his 3,000th hit. Craig Biggio is the only other play to record five hits.
- Derek Jeter and Wade Boggs are the only two players whose 3,000th hit was a homerun.
- Paul Molitor is the only player to reach 3,000 hits with a triple.
- At .483, Stan Musial carried the highest batting average into his 3,000-hit game. Cal Ripken’s .176 batting average was the lowest.
- Roberto Clemente recorded his 3,000th hit in the last plate appearance of his career. During the offseason, he was killed in a plane crash while participating in a humanitarian effort in Nicaragua.
- Dennis Eckersley is the only Hall of Fame pitcher to surrender an opponent’s 3,000th hit (Dave Winfield).
- Minnesota Twins’ pitchers have surrendered the 3,000th hit to four players (Tris Speaker, Rod Carew, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken), the most by any franchise.
- Three players have reached 3,000 hits in an Indians’ uniform (Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Eddie Murray), more than any other team.
Leave a Reply