Club of 33 — Baseball Bench Coach

October 11, 1972. Looking back at the hundreds of MLB games that I’ve attended, the fifth and deciding game of the National League Championship Series on that day has to be my favorite moment. This 13-year old kid, sitting in Row 13, Seat 13, in the right centerfield green seats at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, was anxious as the scoreboard read, Pirates 3, Reds 2 (bottom of the 9th). The Pirates needed just three outs. Johnny Bench led off for Cincinnati against Dave Giusti, Pittsburgh’s top reliever. Down in the count 0-2, Bench hit a home run ball right at me, beyond the Pirates’ great rightfielder, Roberto Clemente, and over the wall, tying the game at 3-3. Minutes later, the Reds would win the NL pennant on a wild pitch.

What I didn’t know then was that sadly this would be the very last game that Clemente would ever play. On December 31, 1972, Clemente died in a plane crash on a rescue mission to Nicaragua. On the last day of the regular season in 1972, Clemente had accomplished a milestone that to date only 32 other players in MLB history have reached, 3,000 career hits. Roberto had an illustrious career with four NL batting championships, a career batting average over .300, an NL MVP award (1966), two World Series championships, and a World Series MVP (1971). Today, Clemente stands #33 on the list in this exclusive club. What makes the club exclusive is that there have been about 20,000 MLB players in its 150-year history!

This past month Miguel Cabrera, affectionately known as “Miggy”, joined the club. Cabrera debuted in 2003 with the then Florida Marlins, leading them to their first world championship. Like Clemente, he has won four batting championships, but all in the American League. In 2012, Miggy claimed the MLB Triple Crown (best AL batting average, and most HRs and RBIs), the first player to do so in 45 years. His career highlights also include 2-time AL MVP (2012 and 2013), 11-time All-Star, and seven Silver Slugger awards. With his 3,000th hit last month, Cabrera became the third player in MLB history with a career batting average above .300, 500 HRs, and 3,000 hits, joining the elite company of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

When the 2022 season began on April 7, it was just a matter of time before Miggy would get #3,000. On April 23, in a game against the Rockies, Cabrera struck gold with a single to right in his first at-bat. His big hit came off Colorado pitcher Antonio Senzatela, who is Venzuelan, just like Miggy. With a second hit later in the game, Cabrera quickly jumped into the #32 spot in the club of 33. He had also become the third player in this century to reach 3,000 hits, along with Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols.

At the top of the Club of 33 is Pete Rose, who finished his career with 4,256 hits. Rose is one of two switch-hitters who reached the 3,000 mark, the other, Eddie Murray. Of the 31 other players in the Club of 33, 18 batted right-handed, while 13 hit from the left side of the plate. Ty Cobb, second on the list with 4,189 hits, has the highest career batting average in the club, at .366. Cal Ripken, Jr. has the lowest career batting average, .276.

Cabrera’s single last month is the most common 3,000th hit. Stan Musial was the first to reach the mark with an extra base hit, a double, and unusually he did it as a pinch-hitter. Derek Jeter, Wade Boggs, and Alex Rodriguez are the only players to reach 3,000 with a home run. Craig Biggio made it to 3,000 with a single but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double! The names of the Club of 33 go on and on . . . Tony Gwynn, George Brett, Carl Yastremski, and Dave Winfield, some of the greatest who have ever played the game.

Welcome to the Club of 33, Miggy!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach