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Pete Rose 1941-2024: 10 Greatest Career Moments
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Pete Rose 1941-2024: 10 Greatest Career Moments

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Peter Edward Rose will go down as Major League Baseball’s Hit King, regardless of his status with the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He successfully reached base on a safely batted ball 4,256 times, more than any other player.

The math is simple.

If you were to reach the 200-hit mark over twenty Major League seasons, they would still be 256 hits short. The record seems unbreakable.

“Charlie Hustle” of Sedamsville, who later played at Western Hills High School, Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium and countless other ballyards, has died at the age of 83.

Top 10 Pete Rose Baseball Moments Cincinnati Reds fans will remember these

1. Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb’s record on September 11, 1985

Riverfront Stadium was packed and Rose hit a hit off San Diego’s Eric Show to left field. The crowd erupted and fans saw Rose show emotion as she stood at first base during the ovation. His son, Pete Rose Jr., and first base coach Tommy Helms were there to embrace the new Hit King. Rose appeared on The Phil Donahue Show the next day. from Riverfront Coliseum (now Heritage Bank Center).

Recent research has shown that two of Ty Cobb’s hits were counted twice. MLB recognized Rose’s record on September 11, 1985, but when Cobb’s record was reduced to 4,189, Rose broke the record on September 8, 1985 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

2. Pete Rose scores the winning point at Riverfront Stadium in the 1970 All-Star Game

The New Round Stadium hosted the game and Reds lead-off hitter Rose was on second base in the bottom of the 12th inning with the score tied 4-4. The Cubs’ Jim Hickman singled to center, where Kansas City’s Amos Otis tried to shoot Rose at the plate. Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians was the catcher. Rose knocked him over, scored the winning point and left a video for everyone to remember.

3. Pete Rose, Big Red Machine wins the 1975 World Series

Rose hit .370 in the 1975 World Series with 10 hits. The series lasted seven games and ended at Fenway Park, although many remember Game 6 and Carlton Fisk’s home run to tie the series 3-3.

Legend has it that when Rose came to bat with the game tied in the 10th inning, he said to Fisk, “This is some kind of game, isn’t it?”

Fisk gestured with his hands before his catch to the left field corner to stay fair in the 12th inning, giving Boston the memorable victory. But in game seven, Will McEnaney jumped into the arms of Johnny Bench after Cesar Geronimo banked in the flyball and the Reds had their first World Series title in 35 years.

Rose was the MVP of the World Series.

4. Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds beat Yankees in 1976

The following year it was back-to-back titles for the Reds as they eliminated the Yankees in four straight games. While Rose hit only .188 in this World Series, he made himself known at third base.

Rose was moved to the hot corner in 1975 to get George Foster into the outfield lineup and intimidated Yankees speedster Mickey Rivers who had hit or hit his way to base. Playing almost halfway across the plate, Rose dared Rivers to try and pretty much took that strategy out of his arsenal.

5. Pete Rose has a 44-game hitting streak

In 1978, Rose was chasing Joe DiMaggio’s immortal record of hitting in 56 consecutive games. He has a National League rating of 44. From June 14 to August 1, the 37-year-old Rose defied the experts until Braves reliever Gene Garber closed the game with a strikeout in a 16-4 lopsided win in Atlanta.

“He threw me like it was the seventh game of the World Series,” Rose said afterwards.

6. Pete Rose is the most valuable player of 1973

Rose won National League batting titles in 1968 (.335), 1969 (.348) and 1973 (.338). Rose had a career-high of 230 hits that season and played in 160 games. The Reds lost in the playoffs that season, where Rose had an infamous scuffle with the Mets’ Bud Harrelson at Shea Stadium. When he returned to left field, bottles were thrown at him.

In the next game, Rose hit a tie-breaking home run in the 12th inning as the Reds won 2–1. He shook his fist at the crowd and the photo later became a poster available in the Reds’ old 580 gift shop. Unfortunately, the Mets would take Game 5 and advance to the World Series.

7. Pete Rose returns to Cincinnati as manager/player in 1984

On August 17, 1984, the Reds fired Vern Rapp, whose team was 51-70. Rose had started the year in Montreal, where he had his 4,000th hit early in the season. Hitting just .259 for the Expos, Reds GM Bob Howsam was able to acquire the 43-year-old Rose in exchange for infielder Tom Lawless.

In his first at-bat in his return to Riverfront, Rose singled to center, where the Cubs’ Bob Dernier misplayed the ball. Rose shot to third and came in with his signature head-first slide.

8. Hit number 1 for Pete Rose

On April 13, 1963, the Reds rookie who had replaced Don Blasingame at second base scored the first of his 4,256 hits. It was a triple off Bob Friend of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rose would turn 22 the next day.

9. Pete Rose, 1963 Reds Rookie of the Year

Although his .273 batting average in the first season was 30 points below his career average, Rose was named the National League Rookie of the Year and played in 157 games. He would win three batting titles, lead the NL in hits seven times, go to 17 All-Star games, win an MVP and have more hits, at-bats and games played than anyone in a career that spanned from 1963- 1986. His original number with the Reds was No. 27, now famously worn by Mr. Ed.

10. Pete Rose wins World Series titles with Reds in ’75-’76, then one with Philadelphia

Rose left Cincinnati via free agency after the 1978 season and was pursued by the Royals, Cardinals, Braves and Pirates, but ended up with the Phillies in a four-year, $3.2 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in baseball . At age 38, he was hitting .331 with 208 hits. In 1980, his average dropped to .282, but he won a third World Series with the Phillies beating the Royals. At age 42, he helped the Phillies to the World Series again, this time with former Reds teammate Tony Perez on the roster, but they were swept by the Orioles.

Eduardo Perez, a former Red himself, broke the news of Rose’s death on ESPN Sportscenter.