With 2,999 hits entering a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies this weekend at Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is sitting on the doorstep of history. With one more hit, Cabrera will become the 33rd player in Major League Baseball history to reach 3,000 hits.
If Cabrera reaches the historic number against the Colorado Rockies, he will become the fourth player in MLB history to log hit number 3,000 against the Rockies. It has been pointed out that only one other franchise (the Minnesota Twins, dating all the way back to its start as the Washington Senators) has been the victim of four players getting their 3,000th hit (most recently, Cal Ripken Jr. in 2000) against it.
For a franchise that has only been around since 1993, the Colorado Rockies have a lot of history when it comes to 3,000 hits … and Miguel Cabrera could be next.
Cabrera was intentionally walked on Thursday afternoon in what would be his final at-bat against the New York Yankees, setting up the potential history against Colorado this weekend.
Here are the other three moments where a player has reached his 3,000th hit against a member of the Colorado pitching staff.
Rickey Henderson, Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres, October 7, 2001
Henderson would collect a bloop double off Rockies starter John Thomson on the final day of the 2001 regular season in front of the home fans at Qualcomm Stadium. Thomson, however, would strike out 12 Padres on the way to a 14-5 Colorado win.
The first-inning hit would set off a celebration at second base and be the only at-bat of the day for the future Hall of Famer.
Craig Biggio, Colorado Rockies at Houston Astros, June 28, 2007
Batting in the leadoff spot, Biggio went 5-for-6 as part of an 8-5 home victory for Houston. His seventh-inning single off Colorado starter Aaron Cook, however, would be the hit that made history.
Eventually, Biggio would be on base in the 11th inning (after another single) when Carlos Lee hit a three-run home run to secure the win for the Astros.
Ichiro Suzuki, Miami Marlins at Colorado Rockies, August 7, 2016
Suzuki became the 30th player in MLB history to reach the 3,000 mark when he hit a triple off Colorado reliever Chris Rusin in the top of the seventh inning.
With the hit, he became only the second player to earn his 3,000th hit with a triple, joining Paul Molitor, who accomplished the feat on September 16, 1996.
The triple would be Suzuki’s only hit of the day in Miami’s 10-7 road win.