What's More Impressive: 600 Home Runs 1. Barry Bonds 762 2. Hank Aaron 755 3. Babe Ruth 714 4. Willie Mays 660 5. Ken Griffey 630 6. Alex Rodriguez 626 7. Sammy Sosa 609 8. Jim Thome 595 3000 Hits 1. Pete Rose 4256 2. Ty Cobb+ 4189 3. Hank Aaron+ 3771 4. Stan Musial+ 3630 5. Tris Speaker+ 3514 6. Cap Anson+ 3435 7. Honus Wagner+ 3420 8. Carl Yastrzemski+ 3419 9. Paul Molitor+ 3319 10. Eddie Collins+ 3315 11. Willie Mays+ 3283 12. Eddie Murray+ 3255 13. Nap Lajoie+ 3242 14. Cal Ripken+ 3184 15. George Brett+ 3154 16. Paul Waner+ 3152 17. Robin Yount+ 3142 18. Tony Gwynn+ 3141 19. Dave Winfield+ 3110 20. Craig Biggio 3060 21. Rickey Henderson+ 3055 22. Rod Carew+ 3053 23. Lou Brock+ 3023 24. Rafael Palmeiro 3020 25. Wade Boggs+ 3010 26. Al Kaline+ 3007 27. Derek Jeter (37) 3003 28. Roberto Clemente+ 3000
Gotta go with the 3K hits. Like Jeter explained if you average 200 hits a year (which is a damn good year) you'd have to stay healthy and play for at least 15 years to reach that milestone.
The 3,000 hit club shows consistency and longevity....... 600 home runs is not what it used to be due to the steroid era in baseball. For a long time......there were only three members of that club (Aaron, Ruth, Mays). Then in the past 10+ years......four new members entered the club. Only Griffey and soon-to-be-new member Jim Thome did it the right way without PED's. Ken Griffey Jr. was seemed destined to be the new homerun king but injuries after leaving the Mariners derailed that opportunity.
Yea it's good logic but steroids killed the HR and what it used to stand for. I'm going to go with 3000 hits.
Take Bonds, A-Rod, Sosa, McGwire, and Manny out of the equation and we are left with: 1 Hank Aaron 755 2 Babe Ruth 714 3 Willie Mays 660 4 Ken Griffey, Jr. 630 5 Jim Thome 595 6 Frank Robinson 586 7 Harmon Killebrew 573 8 Rafael Palmeiro 569 9 Reggie Jackson 563 10 Mike Schmidt 548 Now 3000+ looks a lot more credible.
I always thought the 500 homerun club was the standard? If your going by that logic...there are 25 members of that club compared to 30 members of the 3,000 hit club. But the 3,000 hit club will always be the most impressive among pure hitting accomplishments.
Can I vote both? Both are hard milestones to reach, both need years of consistancy and health. How about I vote for Mays and Aaron. The only two who can say I did both.
If you hit 30 home runs a year (which is also a pretty damn good year), you would have to stay healthy and play for at least 20 years. The fact alone that there are seven players in the entire history of baseball to achieve it as opposed to 28 should tell you all you need to know.
So whats your point? That 600 HR's doesnt show consistency and longevity? That the fact 4 people got in in the last 10 years, 600 HR's somehow means less now? Im not getting your point.
The HR record does require those elements as well.....but I'm not impressed with the fact that nearly half the members of the 600 HR Club either took or were linked to PED's. Only one player in the 3,000 hit club was linked to steroids.......Rafael Palmeiro. Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa may have a hard time getting into Cooperstown. Bonds claims to have never failed a drug test.....but he will always be guilty according to court of public opinion. People would be more willing to forgive Alex Rodriguez.
So then the 600 HR club is even more exclusive and difficult to obtain than the numbers would make it appear? Only four players in the history of the game did it "clean"...well, you're making an excellent argument for it being the most impressive achievement by a considerable margin.
3,000 hits is a pure all-around hitting accomplishment and it's considered the greatest measure of superior bat handling. Some of the baseballs greatest all around players are on the list. I don't care how few recorded 600 HR's.....3,000 hits is the more impressive feat imo. And it's a feat some people in baseball still give a damn about. Although I do respect and admire the ones who hit 600+ HR's clean. And let's be honest.....500 HR's is the standard.....not 600.
500 HR's is comparable to 3000 hits. 25 in the 500 club, 28 in the 3000 club. I don't see how you can possibly justify 3000 hits as being the more impressive achievement. It's not even close. Until 99 when the juicers started hitting it, 500 homers was a MUCH more exclusive club and difficult achievement than 3000, let alone 600.
