New York Yankees outfielder Ichiro Suzuki may have 4,000 career professional hits, but never, ever, will he catch all-time hit leader Pete Rose.
So says the only other man still alive to collect 4,000 hits.
"He's still 600 hits away from catching [teammate] Derek Jeter,'' Rose told USA TODAY Sports, "so how can he catch me?''
Rose's methodology: Jeter has 3,308 major league hits, Suzuki 2,722. Yes, Rose discounts the 1,278 hits Suzuki amassed while playing in Japan's top league - at least as they relate to being considered the Hit King.
Therefore, if Suzuki has 4,000 career hits, Rose says, then he has 4,673 hits.
"Hey, if we're counting professional hits,'' says Rose, the major-league hit leader at 4,256, "then add on my 427 career hits in the minors. I was a professional then, too.
"If you look at the records, Henry Aaron has 4,000 professional hits. So did Stan Musial.''
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