On June 10, 2012, Bobby Abreu surpassed Mickey Mantle for 108th place on the all-time MLB hits list with a second-inning double in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-2 Interleague win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
Abreu finished the game with two doubles and one run scored in four at-bats. The 38-year-old outfielder collected 2,470 hits over 18 MLB seasons spent with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, L.A. Angels, Dodgers and New York Mets.
The Dodgers signed Abreu to a Major League contract on May 4, 2012, after he was granted his release from the Angels. Abreu sought more playing time and initially took on a role as L.A.’s fourth outfielder.
Abreu appeared in 92 games for the Dodgers that season, batting .246/.361/.344 with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 19 RBI across 230 plate appearances.
He was designated for assignment on Aug. 1, 2012, but cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque. Abreu rejoined the club as a September call-up and served as a pinch-hitter for the remainder of the season.
Abreu became a free agent after the 2012 season and sat out the following year. He attempted a comeback in 2014, signing a Minor League contract with the Phillies.
Although Abreu put up impressive numbers during Spring Training, he did not make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster and was released. He then signed a Minor League contract with the Mets and eventually made it back to the Majors.
Abreu went on to post a .680 on-base plus slugging in 78 games before announcing his retirement at the end of the 2014 season.
Bobby Abreu among former Dodgers to fall short in Hall of Fame voting
The 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot consisted of 30 candidates, including seven players with ties to the Dodgers. Abreu was the only former Dodger whose support declined, dipping from 8.7% to 8.6% in his third year.
Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was the only player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America for the 2022 class, receiving 77.9% of the votes in his first year of eligibility.
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