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PETE ROSE: No one played the game harder than baseball’s Hit King
When I attended my first National Sports Collectors Convention shortly after joining SCD in 2021, I marveled at the number of big-name autograph signers scheduled.
There were dozens of Hall of Famers, but, to me, one name stood out above all the rest.
Pete Rose.
Among all the baseball, football and basketball Hall of Famers in attendance, the superstar I wanted to see most—and hopefully meet—was Rose. The Cincinnati Reds legend is not a Hall of Famer, of course, but in terms of sheer name recognition, no one was bigger to me than Charlie Hustle.
Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, passed away Monday at age 83.
There are a handful of all-time greats who had an immeasurable impact on the game of baseball. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and a few more I’m probably leaving out.
Pete Rose belongs on that list.
Few players in baseball history have had such a profound, compelling and far-reaching impact on the game—both good and bad.
He had more hits than anyone in the history of the game. He also played more games and had more at-bats.
He made the All-Star Game 17 times. He won three batting titles, the 1973 NL MVP, and two Gold Gloves, all while playing all over the field.
His 44-game hitting streak is the third-longest of all time, and tied a nearly 100-year-old record.
He won three World Series with two different teams and was the heart and soul of the 1970s Big Red Machine, winning the 1975 World Series MVP with Cincinnati.
And no one played the game harder.
Whether he was sliding head-first into any base at any time, fighting Bud Harrelson at second base, or breaking Ray Fosse’s leg on a slide into home to win the All-Star Game, Rose was as tough as nails and would do anything to win.
No one played harder, no one wanted to win more, and no one loved the game as much.
“I’d walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball,” he famously said.
Though not flashy, Rose was a fiery, fun-loving, popular player, joining Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez to form one of the greatest lineups in baseball history.
In the 1970s, young ballplayers all over the country wanted to be like Pete, crouching over the plate, rapping out singles, going from first to third, and sliding head-first into home.
You ran to first on a walk just because Pete did.
Rose also had his faults and controversies as well. His gambling problem tainted his career and ruined his legacy. He wasn’t the best judge of character, sometimes surrounding himself with questionable characters, which led to his downfall.
Rose has been banned from baseball and ineligible for the Hall of Fame since 1989. He has admitted to betting on baseball and expressed regret in recent years, but not to the satisfaction of MLB commissioners.
Hopefully, they will change their mind and do the right thing now that Pete is gone, though it won’t do him justice after his passing.
Rose was a popular guest at autograph shows all over the country over the past 40 years. He was at The National in July, and is one of the few athletes who signed on multiple days.
Rose loved sharing stories with fans and signing anything they had to present.
At the 2021 National, I walked backstage at the Autograph Pavilion while Rose was taking a break from signing items for TRISTAR.
When I walked up to say hello, he spotted the Sports Collectors Digest logo on my shirt.
“Hey, I know that magazine,” he said. “Been reading it for years.”
Rose has appeared on the cover of SCD numerous times, and has probably been featured inside its pages more than any player not named Ruth or Mantle.
He has been a hobby star throughout his post-career. His memorabilia still sells well, and his 1963 Topps rookie card is worth six figures in high grades.
And he still loved talking baseball with fans and former players, sharing a story or memory or cracking a joke. Even at 83 and with cranky knees.
When an impatient collector tried to nudge a fan along in the autograph line in 2021, Rose cracked, “Just move him out of the way.”
“What would you do?” I asked.
“Run him over,” Rose laughed.
That was Pete.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
