PHOENIX -- There were times during his struggles over the past two seasons that Nolan Arenado didn't think he was going to get to 2,000 career hits.
But get there he did, as his double in the fifth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 5-2 loss to the A’s on Monday night off Jeffrey Springs gave the third baseman the milestone hit and put him in some elite company.
The only other active players with at least 2,000 hits are Manny Machado, Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen and Freddie Freeman.
The list of players who have accomplished what Arenado has -- 2,000-plus hits, 350-plus homers and 10-plus Gold Glove awards -- is even more impressive. That's Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench and Al Kaline -- all Hall of Famers.
"Those guys are legends of this game, icons, people that you know," Arenado said. "The first time I ever met Ken Griffey Jr., I couldn't believe it. Almost forgot what he even said [to me]. Willie Mays is obviously in that category of just legends, so just to be mentioned with them … then obviously seeing Mike Schmidt up there, who's the GOAT. Mike Schmidt was the first guy when I was coming up when I started to perform better, he was the first guy to say, ‘I love the way this guy plays.’ That meant a lot to me. So I'll never forget that."
Arenado, 35, is in his first year with the Diamondbacks after playing for the Rockies and Cardinals for 13 seasons. He became the 297th player in baseball history to reach 2,000 hits. Steve Finley and Luis Gonzalez are the only other players to reach the milestone while playing for Arizona.
"I've watched him for a long time," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "And the fact that I get to manage him is a total honor for me. Future Hall of Famer for sure, and he's just making our ballclub better with everything that he's doing. There's an intensity to him, there's a focus with what he's trying to get to every single day. He's done an unbelievable job being a great teammate, and had a special moment there that we were all proud to be a part of."
Arenado's parents drove to Phoenix from their home in California for the game, so they were there to share the moment with him.
That the milestone came in a loss put Arenado in an awkward spot postgame. A ferocious competitor, getting him to smile or joke after a loss is a nonstarter.
That he could smile Monday while standing in front of his locker, the 2,000th hit ball already in a plastic case on his chair, spoke volumes of what it all meant to him.
"It feels really good," Arenado said. "I'm not gonna lie. This one feels good. I try not to talk about things like that whenever I get some accomplishments, but this one feels pretty good. Just thank God that I've been healthy enough to do it. I'm happy to do it here [with] a team that wanted me. I don't know what else to say, but it's kind of tough when you lose, too. I’ve got mixed emotions right now."
Arenado has another year left on his contract, and who knows how long his career will go after that. With a .740 OPS this year, he's still a productive player, and he has more milestones he wants to chase. Though he didn't want to get into what those were, a pretty safe bet is 400 homers. Through Monday, he was at 366.
"There's a few [milestones]," Arenado said. "I don't know if I'll ever get them. I'll keep them to myself though. If I accomplish them, I'll make sure I let you know. But I just want to continue to help the team win."