Who will make it to the 3,000 hit club?

Japan: 1278

MLB: 2164

TOTAL: 3442

 

I might well be wrong and I don't have time to look it up right now, but isn't the Japanese season considerably shorter than the MLB season?

 

4,000 between the two would still be awesome.

 

I can't say for sure, but the most games Ichiro has played in Japan was 135 twice. He had 130 games three or four times.

 

The Japanese season is only around 140 games.

 

Once they hit 40, most of the prior 3,000 hit players only had about 250-300 hits left in them.

Damon looks like he has a decent shot. I don't think Manny has it in him.

 

He'll be 37 in October.

 

Daniel Nava

 

I say Jeter and A-Rod, definitely. I didn't even realize A-Rod was that close.
Pudge gets it just because he seemed washed up three years ago and has continued to linger. He's got a good enough rep as a defensive catcher and a guy that's good with young pitching staffs that he can hang around a couple more years, get 100 or so hits each year (kind of like he's doing with the Nats this year), and squeak by.
Ichiro has a long way to go, but he might squeak by with a couple more top-shelf seasons.
Oddly, I think Damon has a shot. He's never been great but is strangely productive. He's close enough that if he keeps doing what he's doing until he's 40 (he's 36 now) he might get there. Three seasons of 135 hits a year, plus one more "hang on" year and he's home.
Everybody else on that list is already on their last legs.

 

I used to think Damon had a shot too, but he no longer has the arm for even left field and he doesn't hit for enough power to be a DH. He may have a hard time finding a job at the end of THIS year.

Scott Boras is going to cost Damon the HOF. Should have taken that multi-year deal last winter from the Yankees and put up a couple more Yankee Stadium-aided seasons. Then he'd be within spitting distance of 3,000 and someone would give him a shot even in his age-38 season.

 

Only Jeter and A-Rod get to 3,000.

 

As much as I'd like to agree, I wouldn't be surprised if one or neither makes it. Something happens to guys when they get within sniffing range of the mark. The hits don't fall, their bodies begin to fail.