Salute to Rafael Palmeiro!!

Congratulations on the hit #3000, Rafael Palmeiro!!

Rafael Palmeiro, most fittingly against M's, reached the plateau.
(a double off Piñeiro in the fifth inning)

Having seen him often enough over the last few years convinced me
that he is bound for the Hall of Fame.
But simply he's been a memorable player for me.
So I was so delighted to see the M's game today on TV.

His statistics attest to his dedication to the game.
This type of record requires not just an amazing consistency,
but also, just to average 150 hits for 20 seasons,
a player has to maintain a quality defence to be in the game,
and he has to stay healthy. Which he has done.
Playing 20 seasons without having been placed on Disabled List, that is just incredible.

If the hit had come off Jamie Moyer who is scheduled to pitch Saturday 17th,
it could have been some strange act of fate,
since both played for the Cubs in the '80s and were traded to Texas in the same deal.
It's great that respectively they have had an amazing career.
Most of his contemporaries have retired but it seems Rafael Palmeiro is still going strong.

*Personal note: Palmeiro toured Japan in 1988 during the exhibition games.
But I don't remember seeing him in the game I went to see.
I remember seeing Molitor, Puckett, Burks and McGriff. Dave Henderson was there too.
I wanted to see Hershiser pitch but he had returned home before the final game.
And in high school, I often carried my radio to listen to baseball games on FEN during recess.
For some reason, the Rangers game of early '90s got played often.
Bobby Valentine's crew: Franco, Sierra, Pudge and Palmeiro, that was a great offensive lineup.
These guys are still playing productively. But that makes me feel old.