by Chris Messner

Created on: July 11, 2011   Last Updated: September 24, 2011

Any discussion of Major League Baseball's greatest hitters must, necessarily, begin with Pete Rose.

Love him or hate him, Rose owns several offensive records, most importantly, the most hits all-time: 4,256. In compiling that total, Rose had 10 seasons with 200 or more hits, with his highest total, 230, coming in 1973. Rose also led the National League in hits 7 times.

Rose won 3 batting titles with marks of .335 in 1968, .348 in 1969, and .338 in 1973. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1963, and the NL MVP in 1973. He played his final game in 1986, retiring with a lifetime .303 average.

In addition to hits, Rose is the all-time leader in games played (3,562), plate appearances (15,861), and at-bats (14,053). His 746 doubles ranks 2nd all-time, and his 2,165 runs scored ranks 6th. He struck out only 1,143 times, or once every 13.87 plate appearances.

Long known as "Charlie Hustle" for his hard-nosed, aggressive style of play, Rose's unmatched effort at playing major league baseball compensated for his pretty obvious shortage of natural talent. He was not blessed with speed, power, or a great arm, but he was determined to be the best in his chosen field. His record clearly shows that he succeeded.

Matching Rose with 10 seasons of 200+ hits is Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. Like Rose, Ichiro has led his league in hits 7 times. That's where the comparison ends.

Major league baseball has never seen the like of Ichiro. In 10 full seasons, he has never had less than 206 hits, and has never hit below .303. He won 2 batting titles, hitting .350 in 2001 and .372 in 2004. Wee Willie Keeler, who played his last game in 1910, is second to Ichiro with 8 straight 200+ hit seasons. In 2001, Ichiro was both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the American League, something only Fred Lynn of the Red Sox had previously accomplished.  He's the only major-leaguer to have received special permission to wear his first name on his jersey instead of his surname.

In 2004, Ichiro set a new single-season record for hits with 262, surpassing the old mark of 257 set by George Sisler in 1920, a record many baseball enthusiasts felt would never be equaled or broken.

Unlike Rose, Ichiro possesses great running speed, a powerful arm, and has amazing power, which he suppresses in favor of hitting for a high average. He has stolen 406 bases in 498 tries, has an impressive total of 94 outfield assists in 10 and a half seasons, and, according to some of his fellow

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