Members of the 3,000 Hit Club and Their Cards - Part 1
In this story:
There have only ever been 33 men to achieve the iconic feat of 3000 hits. The 3,000 Hit Club, much like the 500 Homerun club, will always be collectible exactly for this reason - fans and collectors want a piece of greatness and history. In this two-part series, we'll take a deeper look at some of the best cards of these legendary hitters and what makes them worth adding to your collection.
ALLEN & GINTER N28 1887 ADRIAN "CAP" ANSON
The Allen & Ginter N28 set from way back in 1887 is widely considered to be one of the best sets of all time. There were 10 baseball players with cards in the set and luckily for collectors today, Cap Anson was one of the players included. One of the best players of the 19th century, Anson was the first member of the 3,000 Hit Club. These old cards, as one might imagine, are hard to find, especially in good condition - the backs of the cards are a critical factor, as the cards were often glued to albums.
TOPPS TRADED AUTOGRAPH 2000 MIGUEL CABRERA
It's a long jump from 1887 to 2022, but that's the amount of time between the first member of the 3,000 Hit Club and the most recent. Miguel Cabrera joined the club in 2022 - and is only the 7th player in MLB history to have achieved both 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns. His 2000 Topps Traded Autograph card, while not exactly hard to find, commands a hefty premium - this ungraded copy recently sold for $1,000.
TOPPS 1955 ROBERTO CLEMENTE
Roberto Clemente's rookie card is easily one of the most iconic cards of the 20th century. Clemente's 3000th hit was also his last hit - he was tragically killed in a plane crash while delivering humanitarian aid to Nicaragua in 1972. Clemente himself has long been an icon of sport and his legend lives on decades later. His rookie card from the 1955 Topps set has everything - an up close portrait, a pose with bat in hand, the logo of the Pirates and a facsimile signature.
TOPPS 1963 PETE ROSE
Pete Rose is not only a member of the club, you could say he's the President. 4,256 hits makes him the all-time hit king. It's tragic that he's not in the Hall of Fame, but he did it to himself by gambling on baseball. After his death he was cleared to come up for the HOF vote in December of 2027. Collectors of Rose will be keeping an eye on the date - admission to the HOF could cause a spike in his cards. His Topps 1963 rookie is shared with three other players but is still highly prized.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.