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    • Pete Rose 1941-2024: 10 Best Career Moments
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    Pete Rose 1941-2024: 10 Best Career Moments

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

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

    The math is simple.

    If you hit the 200 hit mark in 20 major league seasons, it would still be 256 hits. The record is seemingly unbreakable.

    “Charlie Hustle” of Sedamsville, who went on to play at Western Hills High School, Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium and countless other ballparks, has died at 83.

    Pete Rose’s 10 best baseball moments that Cincinnati Reds fans will remember

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

    Riverfront Stadium was packed and Rose put a hit by San Diego’s Eric Show into left field. The crowd went wild 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 on hand to hug the new Hit King. Rose appeared on The Phil Donahue Show the following day. from the Riverfront Coliseum (now the 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 goal at Riverfront Stadium in the 1970 All-Star Game

    The new circular stadium hosted the game and Reds lead-off hitter Rose found himself on second base in the bottom of the 12th inning with the score tied at 4-4. The Cubs’ Jim Hickman hit a single up the middle where Kansas City’s Amos Otis tried to gun down Rose at the plate. Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians was the catcher. Rose overwhelmed him, scored the winning goal and left an unforgettable video.

    3. Pete Rose and Big Red Machine win the 1975 World Series

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

    Legend has it that when Rose came in to tie the game in the 10th inning, he said to Fisk, “That’s kind of a game, isn’t it?”

    To be fair in the 12th inning, Fisk gestured with his hands to throw his fly ball into the left field corner, giving Boston the memorable win. But in Game 7, Will McEnaney jumped into Johnny Bench’s arms after Cesar Geronimo hit the game-winning fly ball and the Reds won their first World Series title in 35 years.

    Rose was the World Series MVP.

    4. Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds defeat Yankees in 1976

    The following year, the Reds won two straight titles when they defeated the Yankees in four straight games. While Rose only hit .188 in that World Series, he made his presence felt at third base.

    When Rose moved to the hot corner to bring George Foster into the outfield lineup in 1975, he intimidated Yankees speedster Mickey Rivers, who had forced his way onto base. Rose played almost halfway to home plate, daring Rivers to go for it and largely adopting that strategy from his arsenal.

    5. Pete Rose has a 44-game hitting streak

    In 1978, Rose chased Joe DiMaggio’s immortal record of 56 consecutive hits. He holds the National League mark of 44. From June 14 through August 1, the 37-year-old Rose defied the experts until Braves reliever Gene Garber ended it with a strikeout in a 16-4 win in Atlanta .

    “He pitched to me like it was Game 7 of the World Series,” Rose said afterward.

    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 scored a career-high 230 goals in 160 games this season. The Reds lost in the playoffs that season when Rose engaged in an infamous brawl with the Mets’ Bud Harrelson at Shea Stadium. As he returned to left field, bottles were thrown at him.

    In the next game, Rose hit a game-winning 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 at the Reds’ old 580 gift shop. Unfortunately, the Mets would win 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 scored his 4,000th goal at the start of 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.

    On his first at-bat of his Riverfront return, Rose hit a single up the middle where the Cubs’ Bob Dernier misplayed the ball. Rose stormed into third place with his trademark head-to-slide.

    8. Number 1 hit 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 by Bob Friend of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rose would turn 22 the next day.

    9. Pete Rose, 1963 rookie of the year for the Reds

    Although his first season batting average of .273 was 30 points below his career average, Rose was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year after playing in 157 games. He won three batting titles, led the NL in hits seven times, appeared in 17 All-Star Games, won an MVP and had more hits, at-bats and games played than anyone else in his career from 1963 to 1986. His original number with the Reds was No. 27, which is now famously worn by Mr. Red.

    10. Pete Rose wins World Series titles with the Reds in 1975 and 1976, 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 signed a four-year, $3.2 million contract with the Phillies that made him the highest-paid player in baseball. At age 38, he hit .331 with 208 hits. In 1980, his average dropped to .282, but he won a third World Series with the Phillies, who defeated the Royals. At age 42, he helped the Phillies reach the World Series again, this time with former Reds teammate Tony Perez on the roster, but they were overrun by the Orioles.

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

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    Madoc Meredith
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