Before May 7, 1999, Pete Rose got the most hits, with 4,256 hits.

Interpreted as:

most career hits by a player through may 6, 1999

	NAME	H	G	AB	R	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HBP	SO	SB	CS	PA	TB	XBH	SH	SF	IBB	GIDP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Pete Rose P. Rose	4,256	3,562	14,053	2,165	746	135	160	1,314	1,566	107	1,143	198	148	15,861	5,752	1,041	56	79	167	250	.303	.375	.409	.784
2	Ty Cobb T. Cobb	4,189	3,032	11,443	2,246	723	298	117		1,261	95		900		13,090	5,859	1,138	296				.366		.512
3	Hank Aaron H. Aaron	3,771	3,298	12,364	2,175	624	98	755	2,297	1,403	32	1,381	240	73	13,941	6,856	1,477	21	121	293	330	.305	.374	.555	.929
4	Stan Musial S. Musial	3,630	3,026	10,971	1,949	726	177	475	1,950	1,605	53	698	78	31	12,718	6,135	1,378	36	53	127	249	.331	.417	.559	.976
5	Tristram Speaker T. Speaker	3,515	2,792	10,199	1,881	794	221	117		1,393	105		437		12,011	5,102	1,132	314				.345	.429	.500	.929
6	Carl Yastrzemski C. Yastrzemski	3,419	3,308	11,988	1,816	646	59	452	1,844	1,845	40	1,395	168	115	13,991	5,539	1,157	13	105	190	325	.285	.379	.462	.841
7	Paul Molitor P. Molitor	3,319	2,683	10,835	1,782	605	114	234	1,307	1,094	47	1,244	504	131	12,160	4,854	953	75	109	100	208	.306	.369	.448	.817
8	Eddie Collins E. Collins	3,311	2,825	9,955	1,822	438	187	47		1,533	77		741		12,081	4,264	672	516				.333	.426	.428	.854
9	Willie Mays W. Mays	3,283	2,992	10,881	2,060	523	140	660	1,903	1,467	44	1,527	338	102	12,496	6,066	1,323	13	91	193	253	.302	.384	.557	.942
10	Eddie Murray E. Murray	3,255	3,026	11,336	1,627	560	35	504	1,917	1,333	18	1,516	110	43	12,817	5,397	1,099	2	128	222	315	.287	.359	.476	.836
11	George Brett G. Brett	3,154	2,707	10,349	1,583	665	137	317	1,596	1,096	33	908	201	97	11,624	5,044	1,119	26	120	228	236	.305	.369	.487	.857
12	Paul Waner P. Waner	3,152	2,550	9,460	1,627	605	191	113	1,316	1,093	38	376	104		10,766	4,478	909	175			45	.333	.404	.473	.878
13	Robin Yount R. Yount	3,142	2,856	11,008	1,632	583	126	251	1,406	966	48	1,350	271	105	12,249	4,730	960	104	123	95	217	.285	.342	.430	.772
14	Dave Winfield D. Winfield	3,110	2,973	11,003	1,669	540	88	465	1,833	1,216	25	1,686	223	96	12,358	5,221	1,093	19	95	172	319	.283	.353	.475	.827
15	Rod Carew R. Carew	3,053	2,469	9,315	1,424	445	112	92	1,015	1,018	25	1,028	353	187	10,550	3,998	649	128	64	144	217	.328	.393	.429	.822
16	Lou Brock L. Brock	3,023	2,616	10,332	1,610	486	141	149	900	761	49	1,730	938	306	11,235	4,238	776	47	46	124	115	.293	.343	.410	.753
17	Al Kaline A. Kaline	3,007	2,834	10,116	1,622	498	75	399	1,582	1,276	55	1,020	137	68	11,596	4,852	972	45	104	133	276	.297	.376	.480	.855
18	Roberto Clemente R. Clemente	3,000	2,433	9,454	1,417	440	166	240	1,304	621	35	1,232	83	45	10,212	4,492	846	36	66	167	271	.317	.359	.475	.834
19	Sam Rice S. Rice	2,986	2,405	9,275	1,514	498	184	34		709	57	274	352		10,252	3,954	716	211				.322	.374	.426	.800
20	Tony Gwynn T. Gwynn	2,968	2,248	8,748	1,319	503	84	126	1,056	754	23	414	313	124	9,648	4,017	713	45	78	198	242	.339	.390	.459	.849
21	Wade Boggs W. Boggs	2,943	2,371	8,964	1,481	567	60	116	994	1,378	23	728	24	35	10,487	3,978	743	29	93	178	226	.328	.415	.444	.859
22	Frank Robinson F. Robinson	2,943	2,808	10,006	1,830	528	72	586	1,812	1,418	198	1,532	203	79	11,741	5,373	1,186	17	102	218	279	.294	.389	.537	.926
23	Rogers Hornsby R. Hornsby	2,930	2,259	8,172	1,579	541	169	301		1,041	48	677	135		9,477	4,712	1,011	216				.359	.434	.577	1.011
24	Al Simmons A. Simmons	2,928	2,215	8,759	1,507	539	149	307	1,834	618	30	737	88		9,518	4,686	995	111			23	.334	.380	.535	.915
25	Zack Wheat Z. Wheat	2,884	2,410	9,107	1,289	476	172	132		656	78		204		10,000	4,100	780	159				.317	.368	.450	.818