Ichiro 3K

Despite starting his MLB career in 2001 at age 27, after playing nine seasons in his native Japan, Ichiro Suzuki was only six hits away, through Sunday, from joining the 3,000-hit club. The 42-year-old's 9,532 career at bats compare favorably to the number needed to reach 3,000 hits by the 22 players who have gotten to that milestone since the end of World War II. Here are the top seven.

[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]

AT BATS TO REACH 3,OOO HITS

8,774

STAN MUSIAL

8,874

TONY GWYNN

9,138

ROD CAREW

9,151

WADE BOGGS

9,454

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

9,566

HANK AARON

9,604

DEREK JETER