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Jose Altuve’s Grand: Fastest Astro To 1,000 Hits

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  • Updated: August 17, 2016

Tuesday, August 16, the Houston Astros’ 4-time All-Star second baseman, Jose Altuve, became the fastest franchise player to 1,000 hits.

Altuve ended up 3-for-5…3 singles, with an RBI, in the Astros’ 8-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Houston on Tuesday. His 1,000th, a single to left, came off reliever Seung Hwan Ho in the 9th inning.

He smacked his first safety (a line drive single to right-center field) on July 20, 2011 against Tyler Clippard, then with the Washington Nationals.

Reaching “one large” in his 786th game, Altuve reached four digits as the second-fastest active player in MLB history, behind Ichiro Suzuki, who got his “grand” in his 696th game in 2005. Pete Rose got his thousandth hit in his 831st game.

“He’s still young, and that’s scary for the league,” said Astros manager A.J. Hinch, earlier in the week. “Because he hasn’t even reached his full prime.”

“He works hard and takes pride in his craft,” teammate George Springer said recently about Altuve. “There aren’t a lot of guys, if any, who can do the things he does.”

Related: The Reluctant Legend: Altuve and the Ty Cobb Connection

“The Toov” supplanted Cesar Cedeno, formerly the fastest Houston player to reach 1,000, in 1976. He did it in 889 games, while it took Jeff Bagwell just one more game for his 1,000, reached in 1997. That same year, Baggy ranked 2nd in the National League in home runs (43) and RBIs (135).

Bob Watson needed 952 games for his benchmark hit total, attained (as was Cedeno’s) in 1976.

Related: Altuve’s Power Surge Reminds Some Fans of Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn

Altuve, 26, already on many American League MVP ballots, leads the AL in hits (170) and batting average (.365).

Entering Tuesday’s game, Altuve also led the American League in OBP (.427), while ranking second in total bases (264), OPS (1.000), WAR (6.9) and slugging percentage (.573).

At his current pace, Altuve will reach 3,000 hits by age 37.

Putting his recent feat into perspective, Jose Altuve reflected after Tuesday’s game: “It’s great,” he said.

“My time in the Minor Leagues wasn’t that easy. I had to work hard to get to this point. I don’t want to stop. I want to keep going. I’m not going to stop until I take my team to the World Series.”

Brad Kyle

Seen here, meeting Nolan Ryan at Dell Diamond in Round Rock (TX), around the turn of the century.

Brad was born and raised in the shadow of what eventually became Colt Stadium, and then, in '65, the Astrodome.

Brad's a semi-retired entertainer, having been lead singer (and flautist) of high school rock cover band Brimstone (Houston, early '70s).

He currently sings karaoke nightly, and also performs at nursing homes and private parties.

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