Happy Birthday to "Charlie Hustle," the Hit King, Pete Rose. Throughout 24 seasons in the majors, Rose was a significant figure in the "Big Red Machine" for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s, winning two World Series. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. Regarding the all-time great Switch Hitters, Roses' name is up there with Mickey Mantle as the best.
Pete Rose Career Statistics & Accolades
.303 BA, 4,256 HITs, 160 HR, 1.314 RBIs, 2,165 RUNs, .375 OBP
1963 Rookie of the Year
17x All-Star
3x Batting Champion
2x Gold-Glove
Silver Slugger
1973 NL MVP
3x World Series Champion
1975 World Series MVP
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Rose, at 22, would become the leadoff hitter for his hometown team in 1963. The following twenty-three seasons would see Rose claiming the all-time Hit record (4,256) in the most career At-Bats (14,053), Plate Appearances (15,890), and Games (3,562). He was destined to be a leadoff hitter; he led the league in Runs four times, Hits seven times, Batting Average three times, and On Base twice. He was a fearless baserunner, always running hard, never afraid to dive and collide.
Whether it was with Reds or Phillies, he performed well whenever Rose was in the Postseason. He not just won the 1975 World Series MVP in 67 career playoff games, but he was a lifetime .321 hitter.
Another good quality of Pete Rose was his versatility in the field. Rose appeared in 30,099.1 Innings in his career, while he took home two Gold Gloves as a Right Fielder. To accommodate all the big players the Reds and Phillies had, with no DH, Rose played at First Base, Second Base, Third Base, and all over the Outfield.
Pete Rose time spent at Position:
First Base = 7,857.1 Innings
Second Base = 5,408.1 Innings
Third Base = 5,236.1 Innings
Left Field = 5,841.0 Innings
Center Field = 631.1 Innings
Right Field = 5,125.0 Innings
Rose wasn't a compiler who had a few great years and just played forever as a good player. After he left the Reds, he joined the Phillies in 1979 at 38, recorded 200 plus Hits, and .331 Average, and a .418 OBP, which led the NL. In 1980, he was a pivotal piece in the Phillies winning the World Series, and the following year in a strike-shortened 1981 season, he led the NL with 140 Hits in just 107 games.
So what if he gambled, screw MLB, for everything Rose did for the game of baseball on and off the field. He didn't cheat or do anything evil, like killing someone, and everything he did on the field earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. The fact that MLB still won‘t let Rose into Cooperstown is a prime example of how much this sport continues to regress.
References:
1. Pete Rose Career Statistics via Baseball-Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml
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