Ichiro 3000 Hit Watch

Currently at 2994 (6 to go). Remarkable for someone that did not start in the majors until age 26. Now at 42 he will have made it to 3000 in less than 16 full seasons.

He's had quite a resurgence this year, kind of out of nowhere. I was thinking he'd be lucky to last the season and reach 3000 this year after posting a .561 OPS last season. Now here he is at .827, his highest OPS (and highest BA, .345) since 2009. I'm happy for him.

Can't not like Ichiro. One of the most exciting players of the last 20 years. Hit machine. Lightning fast on the basepaths, rocket arm. 4 of the 5 tools, pretty damn good.

Seems like a class act, too. Would prefer to see him reach 3,000 hits in a better uniform for a better franchise but I guess the Marlins will have to do.

Wow, knew it could be this year, but didn't realize it would be so soon.

Think I read on here (OH) that along with everything else he has done in his career he is still one of the top 10 fastest to first base out of the box. At 42! I don't care if that is from the left side that's still amazing.

Wonder if he keeps going after this year.

He had 1278 in the NPB, and another 80 in the Japanese minors.

That goes along with 2994 in the US majors.

Total right now of 4272 in top level leagues, 4352 total. And remember, the NBP played a 130-140 game schedule when Ichiro was there (146 now). I think a 15-20% shorter schedule pretty much makes up for the degree of difficulty.

Rose had 4683 including the minors. That's likely out of reach, but would have been right on pace if the NPB had played 162-game schedules.

He had 1278 in the NPB, and another 80 in the Japanese minors.

That goes along with 2994 in the US majors.

Total right now of 4272 in top level leagues, 4352 total. And remember, the NBP played a 130-140 game schedule when Ichiro was there (146 now). I think a 15-20% shorter schedule pretty much makes up for the degree of difficulty.

Rose had 4683 including the minors. That's likely out of reach, but would have been right on pace if the NPB had played 162-game schedules.

So you think the NBP is major league caliber? Where players like Matt Murton, Leron Lee, and Bobby Rose hold records? If Pete Rose played against AAA talent for half his career he would have 1000 more hits.

So you think the NBP is major league caliber? Where players like Matt Murton, Leron Lee, and Bobby Rose hold records? If Pete Rose played against AAA talent for half his career he would have 1000 more hits.

I don't think anybody would say the NBP is major league caliber, but consider this: Ichiro hit .353 in his 9 Japanese league seasons, and .333 in his first 9 Major League seasons. It's pretty reasonable to think that Ichiro's 1278 hits in the NPB would translate into something like 1205 hits in the same number of at bats in the majors, and that's not factoring in the fact that they play a shorter season in Japan. He's a first-ballot major league Hall of Famer, and if he'd played his whole career in the U.S., he'd probably be considered Inner Circle.

I don't think anybody would say the NBP is major league caliber, but consider this: Ichiro hit .353 in his 9 Japanese league seasons, and .333 in his first 9 Major League seasons. It's pretty reasonable to think that Ichiro's 1278 hits in the NPB would translate into something like 1205 hits in the same number of at bats in the majors, and that's not factoring in the fact that they play a shorter season in Japan. He's a first-ballot major league Hall of Famer, and if he'd played his whole career in the U.S., he'd probably be considered Inner Circle.

I agree there. I don't think its fair to compare him to Rose in final numbers though.

So you think the NBP is major league caliber? Where players like Matt Murton, Leron Lee, and Bobby Rose hold records? If Pete Rose played against AAA talent for half his career he would have 1000 more hits.

I never said that. But I think the difference is probably made up for in this case by the shorter season in Japan.

How many hits do you think Ichiro would have if he came to the US at 18, and was allowed to write his own name in the lineup to keep piling up hits in his mid-40s?

From 1980-86 Rose, ages 39-45, amassed almost 3700 PAs and 884 hits despite being 1.4 wins below replacement. From age 39-on Ichiro has been +3 wins.

Rose holds the MLB record, but Ichiro's mark is just as impressive.

2 hits last night - he's at 2996

2998 - 2 to go

I never said that. But I think the difference is probably made up for in this case by the shorter season in Japan.

How many hits do you think Ichiro would have if he came to the US at 18, and was allowed to write his own name in the lineup to keep piling up hits in his mid-40s?

From 1980-86 Rose, ages 39-45, amassed almost 3700 PAs and 884 hits despite being 1.4 wins below replacement. From age 39-on Ichiro has been +3 wins.

Rose holds the MLB record, but Ichiro's mark is just as impressive.

Rose being his own manager was a really weird thing, but that said Rose was still basically an average hitter near the end of his career. OPS+ of 99 in 1984 and 1985. At age 43 and 44. Rose had his failings (huge in some cases), but he could put the bat on the ball. I'm also not sure Rose would have gotten fewer at bats if someone else was managing. He was the Reds' Cal Ripken chasing an unbreakable record. He would have gotten plate appearances.

Rose being his own manager was a really weird thing, but that said Rose was still basically an average hitter near the end of his career. OPS+ of 99 in 1984 and 1985. At age 43 and 44. Rose had his failings (huge in some cases), but he could put the bat on the ball. I'm also not sure Rose would have gotten fewer at bats if someone else was managing. He was the Reds' Cal Ripken chasing an unbreakable record. He would have gotten plate appearances.

Yea, maybe. Or he could have been like Ichiro and had his playing time limited to 300-400 PAs as a platoon guy, defensive replacement, pinch hitter/runner, etc. Rose had a weird relationship with the baseball community and the media. He had an almost cult-like following among some who saw him as the personification of how things were supposed to be done, hustling 193% of the time. I think that's partly the reason he got 555 PAs as a first baseman with a .602 OPS in '83. Others thought he was an act. But then when the gambling and the addictive personality stuff and his apparent lack of a moral compass came to light the same media cult turned on him.

It's odd that from about 1982-on Rose's entire value was walks. He hit .260 with a homer or two a year, and was mostly a first baseman. But this was still the era where nobody really cared about walks. Then and for another 15+ years Andre Dawson and Juan Gonzalez would win MVPs despite 35 walks in a full season. To most people Rose was a first baseman who hit 260 with 0 homers and 52 RBI, but he still played all the time because he was Pete Rose.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/ichiro-suzuzki-comments-pete-rose-hit-record-3000-hits-play-until-im-50-072916

I was actually happy to see the Hit King get defensive, Ichiro told ESPN The Magazine. I kind of felt I was accepted. I heard that about five years ago Pete Rose did an interview, and he said that he wished that I could break that record. Obviously, this time around it was a different vibe.

From there he continued, talking about larger, American society as a whole.

In the 16 years that I have been here, what I've noticed is that in America, when people feel like a person is below them, not just in numbers but in general, they will kind of talk you up. But then when you get up to the same level or maybe even higher, they get in attack mode; they are maybe not as supportive. I kind of felt that this time.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/ichiro-suzuzki-comments-pete-rose-hit-record-3000-hits-play-until-im-50-072916

Yeah, just read that article on ESPN.com. Great interview, he's a really interesting guy.

Probably my favorite non-Oriole position player since George Brett retired.