3000 strikeout club

In Major League Baseball, the 3000 strikeout club is an informal term applied to the group of pitchers who have struck out 3000 or more batters in their careers.

The club's "founding member" was Walter Johnson in 1923. He was the only pitcher to have reached this milestone until Bob Gibson recorded his 3000th strikeout in 1974. Since then, fourteen more hurlers have joined the club. This recent increase may be explained by the existence of more free-swinging hitters than before, corresponding with an increase in the number of home runs. Nevertheless, 3000 strikeouts remains a very notable feat, as there are only 16 members of this elite corps.

The club includes only 2 left-handed members, Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson. Nine members of the 3000 strikeout club are also members of the 300 win club.

Except for Bert Blyleven, all eligible members of the 3000-strikeout club have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Blyleven received only 17.55% of the vote in his first year of eligibility (1998), but his most recent percentage was 61.9% in 2008. Election to the Hall of Fame requires 75% of the vote, and Blyleven has until 2012 to attain that total.

Club

Stats as of end of 2008 MLB season.

Closest Active Players

(1991-"present") - 2,813 strikeouts
(1987-"present") - 2,607 strikeouts

Stats as of end of 2008 MLB season.

ee also related lists

*Baseball statistics
* List of all-time strikeout leaders
*List of Major League Baseball leaders in games started
*List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
*300 win club
*Top 100 Major League Baseball strikeout pitchers
*List of 300-save club and Blown saves
*List of_Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
*MLB players with 2,000 hits
*List of Major League Baseball players with 4,000 Total bases
*MLB players with 400 doubles
*MLB players with 100 triples
*Top 500 MLB home run hitters
*MLB players with 1,000 runs
*MLB players with 1,000 RBI
*MLB players with 300 stolen bases
*List of Top 100 Major League Baseball players in base on balls (walks)
*Top 15, and List of active MLB players in the Top 50 in Strikeouts
*MLB players with a .400 on-base percentage
*MLB players with a .500 slugging percentage
*List of Major League Baseball players with a .900 on-base plus slugging

References

[http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_career.shtml Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts]