According to the Detroit Free-Press and former manager Jim Leyland, Pudge will get to 3000 hits.
Leyland:
"Without a doubt, Pudge is on a mission to get 3,000 hits. It wouldn't surprise me if he does."
Pudge:
"That's a goal. I'm not that far away -- 300-something hits away. I can do that."
"A lot," he said, asked how many more years he wants to play. "I love what I do, and if you love what you do, you play the game a long time. Physically and mentally, I feel great."
Pudge is 342 hits away. In 226 plate appearances this season, Pudge has 53 hits - one hit for every 4.26 plate appearances.
In order to get to 3000 hits (as of today), and keeping on his 2009 season pace, Pudge would need 1457 more PAs. Since 2004, Pudge has averaged almost 525 PAs per season, and is on pace for right around 500 in 2009. Accounting for a slight drop-off, that would put Pudge hitting 3000 hits sometime in 2012. Will he do it in Houston...? Would you want him to? I bet Quintero doesn't...
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
