Derek Jeter's Home Run and the Coolest Ways Players Have Reached 3,000 Hits

Derek Jeter has reached 3,000 hits by blasting a home run over the left field wall, becoming the 28th player to reach the milestone. The impressive fashion of the home run got me thinking: what are the coolest ways players have reached 3,000 hits?

While most players have reached the milestone on a single or double, some players have done so in fashion.

The following eight players have had the coolest ways of reaching 3,000 hits.

8. Dave Winfield

Dave Winfield's 3,000th hit came off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley. Winfield came to bat in the ninth inning, and he smacked an RBI single.

Winfield's hit not only came in the ninth inning, but it was one of very few of the 3,000th his to drive in a run.

7. Paul Waner

Paul Waner had a stellar career, and he was the seventh man in history to reach 3,000 hits.

Waner did so on a hot shot up the middle for a single. While most singles are just hits, this was not only his 3,000th, but it was also hit against hit former team of 15 years.

Waner made it to first, and then a minor celebration occurred on the field. The umpire, Tom Dunn, called for the ball and gave it to Waner. Pitcher Rip Stewell came over to first and shook hands with Waner. Both managers came out of the dugouts and congratulated Waner.

This was a pretty special celebration for a pretty special hit.

6. Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson was the 25th player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits.

Henderson played for the San Diego Padres at the time. The 42-year-old hit a blooper off of Colorado Rockies' pitcher John Thomson.

A bloop single is nothing, but Henderson stretched his hit for a bloop double. Henderson motored around the bases, and it was impressive to see him leg out a double on a hit that would only be a single for about 99 percent of players in MLB history.

5. Stan Musial

Stan Musial was the eighth player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits, and he did it in style.

Musial was sitting the bench during a road game on May 13, 1958, with manager Freddie Hutchinson sitting him because Musial wanted to reach 3,000 at home.

However, in the sixth inning, Musial was forced to pinch hit for Sam Jones. Musial lined a 2-2 curveball for an RBI-double off of Moe Drabowky. This hit fueled a comeback win for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Musial's hit was a pinch-hit RBI double that started a rally. Tell me that's not pretty cool.

4. George Brett

George Brett was the 18th player to reach 3,000 hits, and he did so with the Kansas City Royals.

Brett entered a game against the Los Angeles Angels with 2,996 hits, four shy of 3,000. He then proceeded to go 4-5 in the game, reaching the 3,000 milestone well before expected.

Getting two or three hits in a game is hard, but to hit four in one game and reach 3,000 is shocking.

3. Paul Molitor

The triple is the hardest of all hits to get, and Paul Molitor reached 3,000 hits with one.

Molitor was the 21st player to reach 3,000 hits, and he did so by hitting a ball into the right-center field gap at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City against pitcher Jose Rosado.

The 40-year-old Molitor somehow made it to third for arguably the best 3,000th hit of all-time.

2. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is the newest member of the 3,000-hits club, entering the record books today. Jeter has been having a sub-par season, but he made up for it today.

The Captain came into the game with 2,998 hits. He then hit a single off of David Price, putting him one shy of 3,000. In his very next at-bat, Jeter hit a bomb over the left field wall.

Jeter got to jog around the bases with the Yankees fanbase cheering him on. To reach 3,000 hits with a home run is almost the epitome of a cool way to reach the milestone, but it falls behind two others.

1. Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs also reached 3,000 hits with a home run. Boggs was the 23rd player to reach 3,000 hits, doing so on August 7, 1999.

Boggs was known for hitting singles, and especially going to the opposite field. On August 7, however, he hit a home run.

One day after Tony Gwynn reached 3,000 hits, Boggs did so. Boggs was so excited that he bent down and kissed home plate after the trotted around the bases in front of 39,512 fans at Tropicana Field. That's pretty awesome.