The fourth player in MLB history to hit 500 or more homeruns and get 3,000 or more hits is the 96th inductee into the Baseball Hall of Immortals.
The first round draft pick of the Cubs in the 1985 draft, Rafael Palmeiro made his MLB debut just a year later. Bouncing back and forth from the minors during his first 2 seasons, Palmeiro established himself as an everyday player in his third year, finishing 2nd in the batting race and earning his first All-Star appearance.
Over the next 17 years, Plameiro would split time between the Rangers and Orioles. Along the way he would total 4 All-Star appearances, 3 Gold Gloves, 2 Silver Sluggers, and in 1999 was named the Major League Player of the Year by the Sporting News when he batted .347 with 47 homeruns and 148 RBIs.
Always a homerun threat, Palmeiro hit 20 or more in fourteen consecutive seasons, driving in 100+ runs in ten of those years. Palmeiro wasn’t just a slugger though, as he hit .300 or better six times.
Palmeiro retired following the 2005 season with 569 homeruns, 3,020 hits, 585 doubles, 1,835 RBIs, 1,663 runs scored, and a .288 batting average. Only five other players in the history of baseball have hit 500/3000 – 3 are in the Hall of Fame (Aaron, Mays, and Murray) and the other 2 are not yet eligible (ARod and Pujols).
One of the great offensive players in the last 40 years. Rafael Palmeiro is an Immortal.
For some background on what this is, check out the introduction post here.
