Throwback Thursday: Willie Mays Gets His 3,000th Career Hit

3,000 of anything is a lot. That's especially true for hits in a baseball career, a feat which nine other MLB players had achieved before Willie Mays joined the 3,000 Club on this date in 1970.

Willie Mays spent nearly his entire 22-year MLB career for the New York/San Francisco Giants. Perhaps the most famous play Mays ever made was "The Catch" in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.

The Giants outfielder endured numerous injuries in the 1969 MLB season but still managed to hit his 600th career home run. However, Mays enjoyed a resurgence in 1970. He hit 28 home runs and joined the 3,000 Club with a single off of Montreal Expos pitcher Mike Wegener.

Mays is widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game of baseball. He was a 24x All-Star, a 2x National League MVP, won 12x Gold Gloves and was a member of MLB's All-Century and All-Time team. Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

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(Photo File / National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)