7 Records to Prove Pete Rose Should Be in the HOF

Pete Rose was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1941 where he would grow up to sign as an amateur free agent with his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds, in 1960 at 19 years old before the implementation of the MLB Draft in 1965. Rose made his MLB debut in 1963 with the Reds and proved he belonged in the majors by winning the Rookie of the Year. The all-time Hits leader was invited to his first All-Star game in 1965 and would go on to make the ASG 15 times over the next 17 years.

The Ohio native was known for the deep passion he had for baseball. During his rookie year, he was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” by New York Yankees players for his effort while base-running during a spring training game. Rose was often seen sprinting to first base after drawing a walk, personifying his intensity as a player. The MLB record-breaker played 24 years in the Bigs, spending his last three seasons as player-manager after returning to the Cincinnati Reds and was as versatile as they come with 500+ games played at 1B, LF, 3B, 2B, and RF. 

Rose was an integral part of the “Big Red Machine”, the name for the Reds in the 1970s, who won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. After signing a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978 to become MLB’s highest-paid player, Rose would capture another World Series ring in 1980. Although #14’s career would end with gambling scandals and a lifetime ban from baseball, he has one of the best statistical resumes of all time and will certainly go down as the greatest pure hitter in MLB history with the records to prove it.

Here are some of the greatest records to know about Pete Rose: