Ichiro logs 4,000th hit, but should it count

This is fine. Ichiro is the "Global Hit King" ahead of Pete Rose. And now the argument can be made that Sadaharu Oh with 868 HR's is now the "Global HR King".

from SABR.org
http://sabr.org/latest/sabr-asian-baseball-research-committee-salutes-ichiro-suzuki-4000th-career-hit

The Asian Baseball Research Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) proudly salutes New York Yankee outfielder Ichiro Suzuki on achieving milestone hit 4,000 in his international professional baseball career.

“Since his MLB debut in 2001 Ichiro’s disciplined, zen approach to hitting has thrilled fans, earned the respect of his peers, and established his place in baseball history as one of the game’s greatest hitters,” said Bill Staples Jr., chairman of the SABR Asian Baseball Committee (http://research.sabr.org/asianbb).

Despite the fact that sports historians and writers have debated the significance of Ichiro’s combined career hits on both sides of the Pacific, his 4,000 hits is an incredible record worth appreciating.

Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,189) are the only players in MLB history to reach 4,000 hits. However, some say that if Ichiro's statistics in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) are considered, then minor-league statistics should be included as well. MLB.com writer Bryan Hoch points out that only six players would reach the 4,000 hit milestone with the inclusion of “minor-league” stats:

• Pete Rose – 4,683 (4,257 MLB + 427 minors)

• Ty Cobb – 4,355 (4,189 MLB + 166 minors)

• Hank Aaron – 4,095 ( 3,771 MLB + 324 minors)

• Jigger Statz – 4,093 (737 MLB + 3,356 Pacific Coast League)

• Stan Musial – 4,001 (3,630 MLB + 371 minors)

• Ichiro Suzuki – 4,000 (2,722 MLB + 1,278 NPB)

And please, to all you bed-wetters out there:
WE ARE NOT GOING BACK BABE RUTH AS THE HR KING!!  

from baseball-reference.com:

Statistic Description: Home Runs Hit/Allowed

Rank	Player (yrs, age)	Home Runs	Bats	HR Log
1.	Barry Bonds (22)	762	L	HR Log
2.	Hank Aaron+ (23)	755	R	HR Log
3.	Babe Ruth+ (22)	714	L	HR Log
4.	Willie Mays+ (22)	660	R	HR Log
5.	Alex Rodriguez (20, 37)	649	R	HR Log
6.	Ken Griffey (22)	630	L	HR Log
7.	Jim Thome (22)	612	L	HR Log
8.	Sammy Sosa (18)	609	R	HR Log
9.	Frank Robinson+ (21)	586	R	HR Log
10.	Mark McGwire (16)	583	R	HR Log

So let's see where that leaves us. Four of the top ten HR leaders, soon to be two of the top five and 6 of the top fourteen -- 40% and more of the top HR hitters in the sport will be persona non grata to the sports Hall of Fame and it's voters.

You may as well do something to increase membership. Open it up to international players like other sports do. I'm sure you don't need the permission of the guys who like to sign things with the initials HOF after their name. They have a vested economic interest in keeping the membership exclusive.

Baseball keeps getting itself entangled in the "but, does it really count" argument. Again, it's good for talk radio, but not necessarily great for the sport overall. Four thousand hits is four thousand hits. It's a monument to consistency, excellence and longevity wherever it happened. I'm not going to get into this hair-splitting of hits as if hits were posted on the currency exchange. I mean what's the value of a Japanese(hit) today vs. and American(hit) vs. a Cuban(hit).

Sorry, not doing it. Too complicated, too volatile.

1 US Dollar equals
98.68 Japanese Yen
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