Pete Rose
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to Pete Rose, Sr., the all time leader in hits. For his son who played in 1997, click here.
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (Charlie Hustle)
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 200 lb.
- Debut April 8, 1963
- Final Game August 17, 1986
- Banishment August 24, 1989
- Born April 14, 1941 in Cincinnati, OH USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Pete Rose consistently batted over .300 and was an important component of the "Big Red Machine", the Cincinnati Reds teams that dominated the National League in the 1970's. During this time, Rose played on four league champions and two World Series winners. In 1975, Pete was named the World Series Most Valuable Player, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and The Sporting News Man of the Year.
He holds the major league records for games (3562), at bats (14053), hits (4256), and singles (3215). He also has the most RBI of any player without a season of 100 or more (1314, with a career-high of 82 in 1969).
He got his nickname "Charlie Hustle" originally as a derogatory term from other ballplayers because he always hustled to first base, even on a walk. Throughout his career, there was a general sense that he was perhaps less talented than some other ballplayers but made up for it by trying harder.
Rose was the last playing manager in major league history with the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1986. He continued managing the Reds until 1989, when he was suspended because of allegations that he had bet on games while manager of the Reds. Commissioner Bart Giamatti ordered an investigation into the allegations; its findings constitute the Dowd Report. When the report was completed, Rose agreed to a deal with the Commissioner under whose terms he would be permanently banned from baseball, in return for Major League Baseball not formally finding him guilty. Speculation is that Giamatti proposed that deal in order to avoid a long and ugly legal process, which would have seriously tarnished baseball's image. His motivations have never fully been explained, as he died only a few days later.
As a result, Rose remains banned from baseball to this day and is not eligible for admission to the Hall of Fame. Rose has pleaded repeatedly to be reinstated, first by attacking the Dowd Report and pretending that it contained little or no evidence of wrong-doing, then by progressively admitting to actions more and more serious, but stopping short of admitting to having bet on his own team. He did not help his case when he failed to report his income from memorabilia signings and related deals and was convicted of tax evasion, serving time in a minimum security correctional facility. He remains in debt to the IRS.
Rose wrote the book My Prison Without Bars (with Rick Hill) published by Rodale Press. It was widely viewed as one more in a string of attempts to gain reinstatement by admitting some wrongdoing, but not the more serious allegations. There is still a significant movement of support among fans, particularly in Cincinnati, in favor of Rose's reinstatement, although he has so far received a much less sympathetic hearing from the media, Major League Baseball, and most researchers. The controversy over his guilt continues to flare up regularly, 20 years after the alleged betting took place.
He is the brother of minor league pitcher David Rose, and the father of Major League player Pete Rose Jr.. Barry Larkin played with both Rose Sr. and Rose Jr.
On October 2, Rose admitted to TV host David Letterman that he used amphetamines while playing.
[edit] Famous Last
Last player-manager in the major leagues (1985)
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1963 NL Rookie of the Year Award
- 1963 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 17-time NL All-Star (1965, 1967-1971, 1973-1982 & 1985)
- NL MVP: 1973
- 1975 World Series MVP
- 2-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1969/OF & 1970/OF)
- NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1981/1B)
- 3-time NL Batting Average Leader (1968, 1969 & 1973)
- 2-time NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1968 & 1979)
- 4-time NL At-Bats Leader (1965, 1972, 1973 & 1977)
- 4-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1969, 1974, 1975 & 1976)
- 7-time NL Hits Leader (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976 & 1981)
- 3-time NL Singles Leader (1973, 1979 & 1981)
- 5-time NL Doubles Leader (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 & 1980)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 10 (1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972-1976 & 1978)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 10 (1965, 1966, 1968-1970, 1973, 1975-1977 & 1979)
- Won three World Series with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1980)
| NL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
| Johnny Bench | Pete Rose | Steve Garvey |
| NL Rookie of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1963 | 1964 |
| Ken Hubbs | Pete Rose | Dick Allen |
| Preceded by Vern Rapp | Cincinnati Reds Manager 1984-1989 | Succeeded by Tommy Helms |
[edit] Records Held
- Games, career, organized baseball, 3,916
- Games, career, 3,562
- Games, switch hitter, career, 3,562
- At bats, career, 14,053
- At bats, switch hitter, career, 14,053
- Hits, career, organized baseball, 4,683
- Hits, career, 4,256
- Hits, switch hitter, career, 4,256
- Hits, switch hitter, season, 230, 1973 (tied)
- Runs, switch hitter, career, 2,165
- Singles, career, 3,215
- Singles, switch hitter, career, 3,215
- Doubles, switch hitter, career, 746
- Outs, career, 10,328
- Outs, switch hitter, career, 10,328
- Plate appearances, career, 15,890
- Plate appearances, switch hitter, career, 15,890
- Times reached base, career, 5,929
- Times reached base, switch hitter, career, 5,929
- Total bases, switch hitter, career, 5,727
- Seasons with 150 or more games, 17
- Seasons with 100 or more games, 23 (consecutive)
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Hustling to Tie Cobb", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, 1982, pp. 215-224.
- Pete Rose with Rick Hill: My Prison Without Bars, Rodale, 2004
[edit] Related Sites
- PeteRose.com
- [1] Article on Pete Rose in The Hardball Times.
