When Derek Jeter was 25 years old, in 1999, he led the American League in hits.
Now he's 38. And he's leading the American League in hits.
Jeter, of course, cleared 3,000 career hits more than a year ago.
So what about 4,000 hits? What about Pete Rose's record?
Before you scoff, remember that Omar Vizquel is seven years older than Derek Jeter. And still playing. Give Derek Jeter another seven seasons and ... Well, it's worth considering, right? One obvious problem, though: Jeter probably won't be a shortstop for much longer. The Yankees have tolerated his sub-par defense for quite a long time, but even their patience must eventually run out. And while Vizquel's hung around forever, he hasn't been a full-season everyday shortstop since he was 40.
Which leads to the obvious question, asked here by Joshua Prager in a long piece about Derek Jeter's future:
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