He joined Paul Molitor as the only players whose 3,000th hit was a triple.
Advertisement
He accomplished the feat with a triple to right field for the Miami Marlins in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Suzuki, who did not make his major league debut until 2001, has recorded 4,278 hits over his professional career – eclipsing the total of Major League Baseball hit king Pete Rose (4,256).
Miami Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki (51) tap his chest while acknowledging the crowd after he hit a triple for the 3,000th hit of his Major League Career in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016.
Miami Marlins’ Dee Gordon, front, hugs Ichiro Suzuki after Suzuki tripled off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Chris Rusin in the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016 in Denver.
Ichiro Suzuki has collected his 3,000th career hit in the major leagues, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone.
He went on to post a record 10 consecutive seasons of at least 200 hits, reaching his zenith in 2004 when he stroked 262 hits to break an 84-year-old major league record set by George Sisler as he claimed another batting title with a.372 average.
“All I ask for is a signed bat in return”, Rusin cracked. “It’s insane to be a part of”.
On the bright side for the home nine, Arenado finally had the impact today that the Rockies lineup has grown accustomed to; knocking in five runs and homering twice. “I feel like I should have gotten this two years ago. I love this game and I love this team”, he said, often choking up. Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his first save since coming to Miami on June 30 and 18th overall.
“Prior to Ichiro’s first game for the Mariners in 2001, the late Pancho Ito, a Japanese baseball broadcaster and historian, said, “He is a genius with the bat”.
Suzuki reached third base standing up and was hugged by third base coach Lorenzo Bundy before Suzuki’s teammates came out of the dugout to greet him. For the Rockies to continue their recent winning ways anchored by extraordinary pitching at Coors Field, they can not afford to give a team four runs in the first inning.
“I don’t have words for how wonderful that is for them to show that and support me”, he said. “I’d rather it had been a single”. In the fifth, after DJ LeMahieu walked and David Dahl followed with a single, extending his hitting streak to 13 games to start his career, Arenado hammered his second homer to deep left-center off Marlins starter Adam Conley.
The Rockies had trimmed an seven-run deficit to 8-6 before Suzuki’s triple and run made it 9-6.
But the hole was just too deep for the Rockies, who were down 8-1 when Gray was pulled with two outs in the third inning.
Rockies: Rookie LHP Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.25) opens a two-game series against Texas.
At 42 years, 290 days he is the second-oldest player by three days over Rickey Henderson to reach the milestone.
Advertisement
Most members of the 3,000 hit club began their Major League Baseball careers around age 21, with the latest bloomer among them before Ichiro being Wade Boggs, who was 24 in his rookie season and went on to amass 3,010 hits.
