Omar Vizquel Becomes Venezuelan Hit King

On Thursday night, Omar Vizquel collected hit no. 2678, passing Hall of Famer and fellow countryman Luis Aparicio to become the all-time hits leader for a player born in Venezuela.

"Finally. ... Wow. I feel 100 pounds lighter," Vizquel said. "I can go out and enjoy the game again and forget about everything else."



With the hit, Vizquel may have put his final touches on a career that many believe will lead to his induction into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.

Not only is Vizquel now a hit king, he is also a 3-time All-Star and an 11-time Gold Glove winner. He also broke Cal Ripken Jr.'s record for consecutive games at short stop without and error, has played more games at short stop than any other player in history and is the all-time leader in turned double plays.