No. 3,000

It figured that Paul Molitor would make a headfirst slide into history.

Molitor became the first major leaguer to reach the 3,000-hit plateau by tripling, and not even the Minnesota Twins’ 6-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night could take away from his big moment.

“I didn’t hit the ball particularly well,” Molitor said of his fifth-inning triple against rookie Jose Rosado. “It was a fastball up. Instincts take over when you smell a triple. It may not have been the crispest of hits in 19 years, but I hit it in the right place.”

Molitor, 40, singled in the first inning, setting up the triple that made him the 21st player to reach 3,000. He added a single in the seventh, increasing his major league-leading hit total to 212.

“I enjoyed the ride. It was a great experience,” Molitor said. “I kept thinking every day this was a great opportunity and something I should enjoy.”

Molitor came up again in the ninth with runners on first and third and one out, and hit a sacrifice fly. He also grounded out in the third in going three for four.

His historic hit came exactly three years to the day that Dave Winfield made it to 3,000. Like Winfield, Molitor was born in St. Paul, Minn., and was playing for the Twins when he made it to the milestone.

The triple against rookie Rosado was an opposite-field drive that fell beyond the reach of center fielder Rod Myers and right fielder Jon Nunnally. Kansas City Manager Bob Boone said the ball should have been caught, but that Myers backed off at the last minute for fear of colliding with Nunnally.

“I think the only time I took my eye off the ball was to make sure I touched first base,” Molitor said. “I didn’t hit the ball particularly well.

“I saw them come together. The right fielder pulled up a little bit and I saw the ball hit the turf. I could smell triple so I tried to kick it into a higher gear.”

Rosado was resigned to his place in history.

“I guess I’m in the books,” Rosado said. “I hate to go in the books in a negative way, but I’m in. I hope to go in some way different sometime.

“It was a fastball up, it was out of the zone. I threw a fastball away to him when he got the single. I knew he was wanting to get the hit in this game so I didn’t want to throw him anything in the zone the second time. I don’t want to throw anything for a strike.

“I was wanting to give him a bad pitch and get a fly ball or a line drive at somebody or just throw a ground ball. He’s a real good player and when you make a mistake to a major league player, he’s going to hit it.”

Molitor’s last comment to his teammates as he picked up balls after finishing batting practice was, “We don’t win if we don’t get hits, let’s go!”

Molitor’s teammates ran onto the field to congratulate him after the historic hit, as did Twin Manager Tom Kelly, who rarely leaves the dugout to join celebrations.

Two other members of the 3,000-hit club, Robin Yount, who played more than a decade with Molitor in Milwaukee, and former Royal star George Brett watched from an upstairs box at Kauffman Stadium.

Also on hand were Molitor’s wife, Linda, and 11-year-old daughter Blaire. American League president Gene Budig was in attendance too.

“To be just engulfed by my teammates at third base, and seeing my family there, were very nice visual pictures I can hang onto,” Molitor said.

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Select Club

Major league players with 3,000 hits or more, and their career batting averages:

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Player Hits Avg Pete Rose 4,256 .303 Ty Cobb 4,191 .367 Hank Aaron 3,771 .305 Stan Musial 3,630 .331 Tris Speaker 3,515 .344 Honus Wagner 3,430 .329 Carl Yastrzemski 3,419 .285 Eddie Collins 3,309 .333 Willie Mays 3,283 .302 Nap Lajoie 3,252 .339 Eddie Murray 3,209 .289 George Brett 3,154 .305 Paul Waner 3,152 .333 Robin Yount 3,142 .285 Dave Winfield 3,110 .283 Cap Anson 3,081 .334 Rod Carew 3,053 .328 Lou Brock 3,023 .293 Al Kaline 3,007 .297 Paul Molitor 3,001 .308 Roberto Clemente 3,000 .317

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Hit Parade

Paul Molitor’s year-by-year hit total and batting averages:

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Year Hits Avg 1978 142 .273 1979 188 .322 1980 137 .304 1981 67 .267 1982 201 .302 1983 164 .270 1984 10 .217 1985 171 .297 1986 123 .281 1987 164 .353 1988 190 .312 1989 194 .315 1990 119 .285 1991 216 .325 1992 195 .320 1993 211 .332 1994 155 .341 1995 142 .270 1996 212 .344 19 Seasons 3,001 .308

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