Will Johnny Damon make it to 3,000?

A-Rod will make it to 3,000.  But will Johnny Damon?  And if he does, will that make him a hall of famer?

Damon's a nice player.  If you were to go through all the major leaguers that have ever come and gone he's in the top 1% that has ever played the game.  But is he really a hall of famer?  Does he pass the sniff test?

I don't think so.

Now saying that Damon's not a hall of famer, that's not a knock against him at all.  A hall of famer is elite air.  Damon's an elite player, but not a hall of famer.

This is his 17th year in the bigs.  Coming into today's play, he's compiled 2,662 hits.  He's hit at a .287 career clip.  He's hit 224 home runs.  He's driven in 1,088 runs.  He's scored 1,605 times.  He's stolen 392 bases.  He's been a repeat World Series Champion.  He's made over $100 million dollars in his career.

There isn't a ballplayer alive that would turn that career down.

That doesn't make him a hall of famer.

But if he hangs around long enough to get another 338 hits?  Does an aging player sticking around past his prime to compile a few more hits when he's not a hall of famer make him one?

Probably.  Then again, 338 hits is more of a major league career than a lot of guys who ever made it to the bigs.

That doesn't make them hall of famers either.