Pete Rose earned his place in baseball history with his all out hustle, unmatched enthusiasm, and unbridled love for America's national pastime. He once stated that he would "walk through fire in a gasoline suit" to play baseball, and opposing players, managers, and fans never had any reason to doubt him.
Rose was, by all measures, average in almost every way. At 5'11", he was average in size, arm strength, fielding range, speed, and with the bat. However, his desire and determination to be great and to never accept failure proved to outshine everything else about him.
He became an instant fixture in Cincinnati during his rookie campaign in 1963. It was during that summer more than 40 years ago that Rose won the NL's Rookie of the Year Award. He hit .273, scored 101 runs, and banged out 170 hits, 25 doubles, and 9 triples. His fiery style of play and his reputation as a player who would not accept failure gained the respect and admiration of Cincinnati fans in short time.
"Charlie Hustle" would go on to win three batting titles (1968-1969, 1973), and an MVP Award (1973). He pounded out 200 hits 10 times and led the Reds to 5 divisional titles, 4 pennants, and 2 World Series championships.
Rose provided fans with indelible memories over the course of his career--his trademark head first slide into third base, bowling over catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run in the 1970 All-Star Game at Riverfront Stadium, and his fight with Met second baseman Bud Harrelson during the 1973 NL playoffs.
His greatest feat came on September 11, 1985 at Riverfront. It was on that night that he became baseball's all-time hits leader by surpassing Ty Cobb with #4,192, a single into left-centerfield off San Diego's Eric Show. Reds fans showered their hometown hero with a thunderous, 10-minute standing ovation during which he pointed to the sky to acknowledge his father, accepted the congratulations of his teammates, and hugged and celebrated with his son.
Rose's career ended after the 1986 season. He was undoubtedly headed for the Hall of Fame in 1992, but then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti learned that Rose had placed bets on baseball, including Reds games, during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. After reviewing the John Dowd report, which documented all evidence against Rose, Giamatti, on August 24, 1989, announced that an agreement was reached between MLB and Rose which resulted in his lifetime banishment from the game.
Rose lied to the baseball public for 15 years about his gambling activity before coming clean in his second autobiography "My Prison Without Bars". The release date of the book, just days before the 2004 Hall of Fame balloting, enraged many fans and caused serious doubt as to his true intentions. As of this writing, Rose is still awaiting Commissioner Selig's ruling on his application for reinstatement.
� Rob Olds, 36, is a Nolan Ryan historian and has a site dedicated to the all-time strikeout king at http://www.nolanryanheat.com.
Also by Rob Olds
� Thanks For The Memories, Barry Larkin
� The Greatness of Nolan Ryan
� My Idol, Nolan Ryan
� More submissions
Copyright © 2004 by Rob Olds. Posted June 22, 2004.
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
