5 MLB records that will never be broken
By John Buhler
Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits seem to be out of reach for anyone to break
While there have been several excellent hitters who have joined him in the 3,000 hit club, nobody is likely have more career hits than Pete Rose‘s 4,256. As with Young’s career 511 wins, what makes Rose’s career hit record so insurmountable is that it is a combination of longevity and the way the game has changed. However, this offense record showcases his brilliance at the plate.
Rose played in the NL from 1963 to 1986, over his age-22 to age-45 seasons. He played in over 100 games in all but his final season with the 1986 Reds. In 10 of those, he had over 200 hits, leading the National League in hits seven times as well. Rose was not a power hitter with only 160 career big flies. The bulk of his hits were singles, but he had a ton of doubles and triples as well.
What makes this record unlikely to ever be broken is that we live in a world where launch angle and taking walks reigns supreme. Rose never struck out very much in his hall-of-fame-caliber career, but most managers now are not going to be all that comfortable with a leadoff hitter trying to eke out infield singles by hustling down the baseline. There will only be one Charlie Hustle…
If Ichiro Suzuki never played professionally in Japan, he may have beaten Rose’s 4,256 career hits.