I’m sure Omar Vizquel fans will be angry about this comparison, but it’s not so much about him as it is me trying to point out the silliness behind acting as if “hits” are a good way to gauge someone’s overall ability as a hitter.
Anyway, yesterday Vizquel notched his 2,871st and 2,872nd career hits, meaning he’s just one hit shy of tying Babe Ruth on the all-time hit list with 2,873.
That’s a helluva accomplishment any way you look at it--particularly for a shortstop with a billion Gold Glove awards--but consider this: Ruth has 2,073 more total bases and 1,029 more times on base while making 2,664 fewer outs than Vizquel.
Not all hits are created equal, walks count for something too, and Babe Ruth was really friggin good.