Ichiro passes Carew to become MLB's foreign-born hits leader
Ichiro Suzuki continues to make history with the Miami Marlins.
The future Hall of Famer's eighth-inning single off St. Louis Cardinals reliever Brett Cecil on Thursday afternoon was base hit No. 3,054 of his major-league career, moving him into 24th place on the all-time list - and with it, he surpassed Panamanian legend Rod Carew for the most hits by a foreign-born player in MLB history.
Ichiro lines a ball into center field for a single, his 3,054th career hit which passes Rod Carew for 24th on the all-time hits list!!! pic.twitter.com/cJuEVc36sM
— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) July 6, 2017
The 43-year-old Ichiro, now the oldest player in baseball, debuted in the majors in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners at the age of 27, and needed just 17 seasons to pass Carew's mark. By comparison, Carew - who was born in Panama and grew up in New York City - made his big-league debut in 1967 at age 21, and recorded his 3,053 hits over 19 seasons.
| Player | Birthplace | Years in MLB | Hits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ichiro Suzuki | Nichi Kasugai-gun Japan | 2001-Present | 3054 |
| Rod Carew | Gatun Panama (Panama Canal Zone) | 1967-85 | 3053 |
| Rafael Palmeiro | Havana Cuba | 1986-2005 | 3020 |
| Roberto Clemente | San Juan Puerto Rico | 1959-72 | 3000 |
| Adrian Beltre | Santo Domingo Dominican Rep. | 1998-Present | 2975 |
Ichiro's next hit will move him into a tie for 23rd on the all-time list with Rickey Henderson.
Counting his 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in his native Japan, Ichiro has now racked up 4,332 hits as a professional, making him one of nine men to have recorded 4,000-plus hits across all levels of organized professional baseball.