Ladies and gentleman, I give you your MVP runnerup: Adrian Beltre

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CpltKYQWAAA2g9p.jpg:small

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CplSYgwVYAQtO5W.jpg:medium
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CplS7-3VUAE-GWO.jpg:medium
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it seems like just yesterday this guy was a one-season wonder rather than a hopeful HoFer. what a strange career

he'll hit 3000 hits next year too if he plays most of the season

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v1055336083/oaktex-beltre-grabs-broom-works-on-the-infield

<3 <3 <3

i think my two favorite players of all time are Ichiro and Beltre

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/8/30/12709174/adrian-beltre-helmet-backward-pat-venditte-switch-pitcher

dude has been playing out of his mind lately, just hit his 30th HR.

I check his career box once a week. He may catch Donaldson and/or Machado in the MVP vote this year, and he'll soon pass 90 career WAR on Baseball Reference (decent shot to be the 22nd position player to reach 100 before he's finished...the equivalent of three more pretty good seasons, not easy). He's moved into the Top 25 career in AB, doubles, and total bases.

he's def going to make it to 3000 hits next year. wonder if he can make it to 500 HRs.

(obv not next year – two years left on his deal, might need a year or two of quality baseball on top of that)

Just hit 90.0 in career WAR; in the top 30 position players now (between Brett and Boggs, as luck would have it).

https://s18.postimg.org/4kvhzeo55/fibo.png

http://www.mlb.com/images/0/2/6/238935026/062617_beltre_reaction_med_bpkwyhet.gif

would watch a movie about their relationship

Beltre's homer gave him 5,003 total bases, making him the 21st player to go over 5,000 for his career. That's fewer than the 27 players with 3,000 hits and the 27 who have 500 home runs.

(And the 24 who've won 300 games.)

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/241068172/adrian-beltre-surpasses-5000-total-bases/

<3

lol Aaron's record is ridiculous

It took me about five readings to parse that sentence (all 27 players with 3000 hits finished their careers with more total bases than Beltre? ... no)

Something else: he just passed (lined up in succession) Chipper, Brett, and Boggs in career WAR. He should pass Matthews if he plays another year; Schmidt is out of reach (and A-Rod, although half of his was accumulated at SS).

1.3 WAR this year (in approx 1/4th a season) vs Albert's -1.0.

noting that because i think there's a chance Beltre could catch him in WAR, since his decline has been pretty minimal vs AP's consistent downward plunge.

now 15 hits shy of 3,000.

beltre since he went to Texas (the equivalent to around 5 3/4 seasons worth of games): 39.2 WAR

pujols since he went to Anaheim (almost exactly 5 seasons worth of games): 13.7 WAR

2,996 hits now (along with getting ejected last night for messing with the on-deck circle?) He's a machine.

Maybe he has a chance at 500 HR after all. I thought the injury ruled that out, because it now requires two more years, but not slowing down so far.

Two more hits to go. A list of the most productive players as they reached 3,000 hits would be interesting--pro-rated, Beltre's in his usual ~6.0-7.0 WAR range, coming off seven straight seasons of same. He's signed for next year, then a free agent. The end can come quick at this age, and he doesn't strike me as someone who'd hang around as a part-time player, but right now he looks like a decent bet for 2019.

Because it’s a beautiful day, and why would I go outside?

Pete Rose – 37, more-or-less prime
Hank Aaron – 36, playing well
Stan Musial – 37, last good season
Derek Jeter – 37, decline phase
Carl Yastrzemsk – 39, decline phase
Paul Molitor – 39, playing well
Willie Mays – 39, decline phase
Eddie Murray – 39, last good season
Cal Ripken – 39, decline phase
George Brett – 39, decline phase
Paul Waner – 39, hanging on
Robin Yount – 36, decline phase
Tony Gwynn – 39, playing well
Alex Rodriguez – 39, decline phase
Dave Winfield – 41, decline phase
Craig Biggio – 41, hanging on
Ichiro Suzuki – 42, hanging on
Rickey Henderson – 42, hanging on
Rod Carew – 39, decline phase
Lou Brock – 40, decline phase (but good final season)
Rafael Palmeiro – 40, decline phase
Wade Boggs – 41, decline phase
Al Kaline – 39, hanging on
Roberto Clemente – 37, playing well

I skipped the early guys and just looked at post-war. Lots of subjective calls there, especially between “decline phase” and “hanging on.” Ichiro’s a special case because of his late start, and so was Clemente.

Having said that, I’d put Beltre alongside Rose, Aaron, Musial, Molitor, Murray, Gwynn, and Clemente as the 3,000-hit guys who weren’t just playing out the string to one degree or another.

Yount's a special case too. Definitely in decline, but he was still only 36, playing every day, and contributing some--and only three years removed from an MVP--so he hadn't really overstayed his welcome yet. He played one more season and retired at 37.

That led me to look up the oldest MVPs -- Bonds with 4 of the top 6, dang.

http://emulateproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Anti-Aging-Elixer-Swiss-Apple-Stem-Cell-w-Organic-Moringa-Oil-3x3-inch.png

Willie 'Decline Phase' Mays at 39 (1970) was 8th in the NL in offensive winning pct (right behind Hank 'Playing Well' Aaron), had a slash of .291/.390/.506, and hit 28 homers. The next year he led the NL in walks and OBP (112, .425).

I hate doing this, but for the second time in three or four years I'll waste my time responding to you and explain something I thought would be self-evident. 1970 Willie Mays is being compared to prime Willie Mays; ditto Hank Aaron. If you think Willie Mays in 1970 = Willie Mays in 1965 or Willie Mays in 1954, that's great. And just to anticipate your next silly comment, yes, I do realize very few players = Willie Mays in 1965 or 1954. I do get that.

gold star

Similarly, Hank Aaron was a 5-win player in 1970, not the 8-9.5-win player of his prime, if you want to put a cherry on it.

Now we can go back to ignoring each other

2999

Clem and Morbs fighting reminds me of my parent's divorce.

don't worry they'll get back together when the angels win the pennant

anyway yay

Beltre has exactly one 200 hit season (in 2004 he finished with exactly 200 hits). Without checking, I'm assuming that's the fewest 200 hit seasons for any player with 3000 hits.

nope! A few have 0, or 1.

Clem and Morbs fighting reminds me of my parent's divorce.

Which of them was stuck in 1990?

zero 200-hit seasons: Anson, Rickey H, Murray, Winfield, Yaz

One: Beltre, Biggio, Collins, Kaline, Mays, Palmeiro, Yount

Most of them better hitters than Pete Rose, of course.

(pulled that straight from today's NY Times column by Tyler Kepner)

Wow, so more than a third of the 3000 hit club had zero or one seasons with 200 hits. Am I the only one who's sort of shocked by this?

There are a lot of patient hitters there (but not too patient, too many walks = not enough hits) but not really a comp for Beltre.

i'm surprised too, i guess, but not shocked. getting to 3000 is just a function of longevity. the player with the 50th most hits last year was nick markakis, with 161. if a player had 161 hits each season of their career, it would take them about 18-19 years to reach 3000. if a player has 200 hits a year, it would take them 15 years, which is faster, but...not really that much faster. so it just seems to be a matter of staying healthy and having a long career.

still boggling at the fact that nick markakis has 1,995 career hits

so many players this year chasing major milestones, really looking forward to Markakis' 2000th hit, i hope he gets it at home.

the growth of the 3000 Club in the last 40 years is just bananas

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-everyone-should-love-adrian-beltre/

The "Best of Adrian" clip at the bottom is great.

NoTime: Pujols and Cabrera will get to 3,000 with only one 200-hit season each.