He broke Ty Cobb’s record for the most hits in baseball.
That record still stands to this day.
And Americans are in mourning after Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader died at 83.
Pete Rose, the Cincinnati native who became baseball’s all-time hits leader, died on Monday at the age of 83.
One of the most prolific hitters and divisive characters in all of baseball history
In addition to becoming the sports’ all-time leading hitter, “Charlie Hustle” also became one of the most divisive figures in the sport’s history.
After reaching the pinnacle of the sport he loved, Rose was considered a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.
But then he was banned from baseball in 1989 for gambling as the manager of his beloved Cincinnati Reds.
The ban came just four years after Rose had broken Ty Cobb’s hit record.
With 4,256 total hits over his career, Rose is MLB’s all-time hits leader.
But the lifetime ban from the game kept Rose out of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, even though he still holds many career and single-season records.
In addition to the all-time hit title, Rose also holds records for the most games played, the most at-bats, the most time on base, and the most singles in baseball history.
He also made the most outs in MLB history, which shows his prowess on both offense and defense.
Rose began his career with the Reds in 1963 and was named National League Rookie of the Year.
Amazingly, he did so after he got a tryout with the Reds because of his uncle’s connections.
But over his 24-year career, Rose was named an All-Star 17 times and was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1973.
One of the greatest to have ever played
He won three batting titles and two Gold Gloves, despite playing more than 500 games at five different positions during his career.
In 1978, his 44-game hitting streak received national attention and he eventually tied a nearly 100-year-old National League record and set the modern-day mark for the National League.
Rose was also part of three World Series-winning teams.
He was named the MVP of the 1975 World Series and he won the other title with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980.
“I am the winningest athlete in team sport history,” Rose said in an interview with The Enquirer during the summer of 2018. “To me, my biggest record is the number of winning games I played in. And that’s also a testament to all the great teammates I played with.”
In that same interview, Rose expressed regret for his gambling and his 15-year refusal to admit the truth until he did so in his tell-all book published in 2004.
“There’s only one thing I would change if I had to live it all over again, I would obviously turn my life around and not bet on baseball,” Rose said. “Having said that, I feel like I’ve been a pretty good citizen.”
“You never read about me being in a bar after hours, beating up my wife, or getting into a fight with a fan, and I was as gracious to everyone as I could be,” he said.
Despite baseball’s newfound love of gambling sites, Rose was denied entrance into the Hall of Fame through multiple attempts.
He tried for reinstatement in 2015, but he was denied by now-commissioner Rob Manfred.
It’s past time to put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
