For Pete Rose, It Was All About Competing

Pete Rose became one of the greatest players of all time despite the fact that he didn't have the natural ability possessed by great players.

Pete Rose always hustled. He always wanted to win. No one ever saw Pete Rose hit the ball and then stand at home plate, admiring his accomplishment, because that's not the way winners play the game.

Rose once said that he would "walk through hell in a gasoline suit to keep playing baseball."

Rose Was an Igniter

Pete Rose had many great seasons during his 24-year career, but 1976 was as good as any.

With a .323 batting average, a .404 on-base average, and a .450 slugging average, it is not difficult to assess Pete’s value. He finished behind Joe Morgan, George Foster, and Mike Schmidt in the MVP voting, but it was Pete who ignited the Cincinnati Reds.

Are the Yankees Worried About the Reds?

The 1976 World Series was the first in which the teams had 10-player lineups. Dan Driessen was Cincinnati's designated hitter, while Lou Piniella was the DH for the Yankees.

In an interview prior to the opening of the Series, a reporter asked Pete Rose if he were worried about the New York Yankees' legend of invincibility. Pete's response epitomized his attitude.

"No, because we think we have a legend here in Cincinnati. Does it worry them?"

After the Reds' fourth consecutive victory, which was the second time the proud Yankees had been swept in their last three World Series appearances, pitcher Gary Nolan called Pete Rose the greatest player he had ever seen. 

It certainly was an exaggeration, but many who saw Rose play every day might agree with Nolan.

Player of the Decade and Sportsman of the Year

Rose has the most hits (4,256), singles (3,215), at-bats (14,053), and games played (3,562) in baseball history.

He had at least 200 hits in 10 seasons and led the league in hits seven times.

Pete was selected to the National League All-Star team 17 times at five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B).

The Sporting News selected him the Player of the Decade for the 1970s and ranked him 25th on its list of greatest players.

When he got his 3,000th hit on May 5, 1978, Pete became the 13th and youngest player to accomplish the feat.

In 1975, Pete was the World Series MVP and was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year.

Pete Played Within the Rules

It is a shame that Pete Rose's accomplishments on the baseball field are hardly referred to anymore. I wonder why—don't you?

It is undeniable that he played within the rules and never sought unfair or illegal advantages. For Pete, it was all about competing.

When he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, his goal was to help them become world champions for the first time in their history.

At his first spring training game as a member of the Phillies, Rose told reporters, “If I’d wanted just the money, I would have taken the Atlanta deal. But I didn’t think I could make Atlanta competitive.

”I’m not the God-gifted athlete some of these guys are, so I’ve got to scrounge. I’ve got to take second base on a single. But I was the only guy Sparky Anderson (Reds’ manager) could be sure of every day.”

Betting on Pete Rose was a sure thing.

References

Durso, Joseph. “Talk of the Series: Pure, No-Frills Talent Key to Reds’ Success.” New York Times. 22 October 1976, p. 24.

Smith, Red. “History With an Asterisk.” New York Times. 17 October 1976, p. 165.

Pete Rose at Baseball Library