Only 29 players in Major League Baseball history have racked up 3,000 hits and we're nearing the entrance of a 30th. Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki started the day just nine away and ended it six.

During the course of a 6-3 Marlins win over the Cardinals -- in a big head-to-head series with wild card implications, by the way -- Suzuki was 3 for 4 with a walk, double, steal and run scored from the leadoff spot.

Here's the double:

That's an incredibly productive day in an important victory, but bigger story is, of course, getting to 2,994 career hits.

Ichiro getting to 3,000 hits is a rather amazing story, considering he didn't even get to MLB until age 27. He collected 1,278 in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball before coming over. Since joining the Mariners before the 2001 season, Ichiro has hit .314 thus far in his 16 seasons and rarely missed time to injury.

In fact, his ability to stay on the field is as remarkable as his ability to rack up hits. His only trip to the disabled list came in 2009, but he still played in 146 games that season. Otherwise he played in at least 157 games every season through 2012.

Bottom line: It's been a Hall of Fame career and he's about to hit a huge milestone in the midst of a very productive season.

Next up for the Marlins is the Phillies on the road. They allow an opposing batting average of .262 compared to a league-wide mark of .253. It's a four-game series, so there's a realistic possibility he reaches 3,000 in the next few days.

Of course, after those four road games, the Marlins come home for a 10-game homestand. Surely they'd rather him get only five hits and then reach number 3,000 in Marlins Park.

Regardless, it's gonna happen pretty soon, barring something unforeseen.