Derek Jeter Still on Track for Pete Rose's Record

Despite being banned from baseball and not able to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pete Rose still is still hanging on to Major League Baseballs record for total base hits in a career. And for now, there are no active players in Major League Baseball in sight that that can reach Pete Rose's accomplishment. The closest player is Ken Griffey, Jr. with 2763 career hits. Even at age 39, coming off a 2009 season that saw a big drop in his overall statistics, Griffey is still planning to make a comeback for the 2010 campaign. At most he will move up a few spots on the all time hits list. It is unlikely the Ken Griffey, Jr. will reach Rose's record.

Besides Griffey, there are eight other active players that are listed among the Top 100 all time hits leaders in Major League Baseball. Of those total of nine players, 7 are about to retire or are near retirement. This leaves just two players on the list with some potential of reaching one of Major League Baseball's ultimate plateaus. Both players are Yankees. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is mired in the steroid controversy, among other off-field infractions. Derek Jeter brings a more clean-cut approach to the game. However, Derek Jeter has also had his share of run-ins with the tabloid media. The steroid controversy may present a problem for Rodriguez, as it is considered cheating. If gambling allows Rose to remain on the list, it will remain to be seen as to whether Alex Rodriguez will remain on the list. The accusations against Alex Rodriguez have a more direct influence on his performance. Since these accusations are hard to prove, it is likely that Alex Rodriguez will remain on the list. Other players who have had similar accusations have remained in the record books. It may be a moot issue since both Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have been prone to injuries in the past and have missed portions of seasons.

The main obstacle for older players will be bat speed and getting playing time. Once they reach 40 years old, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez may not be able to keep up with major league pitchers, and they may not be everyday players. At age 39, Ken Griffey, Jr., who happens to just ahead of Jeter in the hits count, has seen is batting average drop to .214 in the 2009 season, despite playing in 117 games. The announcement that he will be back for the 2010 season means more hits for Griffey. But he has had an injury plagued career, and even a minor injury may mean that retirement will be in the cards for Ken Griffey, Jr.

One has to wonder whether the production from Derek Jeter will drop as he ages, or will Jeter remain a consistent performer at the plate. For Pete Rose, it was not until about aged 43, that his plate numbers began to fade. While Rose was a player manager, that his plate appearances, overall hits, and batting average dropped significantly.

Another advantage for Rose was the opportunity at the plate that he was given late his career. By the time he was aged 35, Rose amassed 2762 hits, just a few hits ahead of Derek Jeter's mark as of 2009. Alex Rodriguez is only 33 and is showing similar pace number of hits per season as Derek Jeter and Pete Rose. By the time Pete Rose retired at aged 45, he still had at least 700 plate appearances in half of the seasons that he played in since he was 35. In contrast, Alex Rodriguez has not come close to the 700 mark in recent years, even though he is still in his prime. Derek Jeter has hovered fairly close to that number of plate appearances, and as Yankee captain may get more chances at the plate later in his career. If these two players remain healthy and are able to get enough plate appearances there may be a chance for Rose's record to fall.