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Pete Rose has more hits than any player in baseball history. When he faced Pittsburgh hurler Bob Friend on April 13, 1963, the Hit King was still in search of his first big league knock.

In the eighth inning Rose got on the board with his first Major League base hit. Friend got the win — and got two hits himself. The game looms large in MLB history as the day Pete Rose started his quest to pass Ty Cobb.

In the collection is this questionnaire filled out and signed by Friend. With a spot-on recollection Friend writes, “Pete hit a 3-2 fast ball down the left field line for a triple. A tough out!”

The rest of the questionnaire Friend reflects on his own big league debut as well as pitching to Jackie Robinson in #42’s last at bat.

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Pete Rose was a hit machine. He recorded 200 or more hits in 9 different seasons. During the 1970s he averaged more than 200 safeties per season. His 2,045 knocks during the decade is the most by any big league player in any decade.

From 1970-1979 Rose made 9 All Star Games and received votes in MVP balloting all but one season. He hit .314 with a .389 on-base percentage and a 128 OPS+.

In 1977 Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson mailed current and former stars of the game requesting their consent to lend their name to the Babe Ruth Advisory Board. Rose agreed to this, writing, “I’m very interested in Babe Ruth baseball.”

At the bottom, Rose dates the document July 28, 1977, the same day he hit a homer to leadoff a game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

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In the collection is a certificate dated 4/21/1984 with the printing, “Pete Rose 4000th hit. I was there.” The certificate goes on to state that the game was played at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

On that date, the Reds played at San Francisco while Rose’s Expos were playing at St. Louis. Rose recorded his 4,000th against Phillies on April 13th, 1984 at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

Despite the inaccuracies, Rose signed this certificate and added the “HIT KING” inscription.

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Jerry Koosman gave up 3,635 hits in his 19-year big league career. One of the most memorable was to baseball’s all-time hit leader Pete Rose. Pitching against Rose’s Montreal Expos on April 13, 1984, the Phillies left-hander surrendered a line drive double down the right-field line to give Rose his 4,000th career hit.

The game was stopped as the Montreal faithful showered their appreciation upon Rose with a standing ovation.

Shown here is a pair of 1970 Topps cards signed by Koosman.

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Pete Rose broke in with Cincinnati in 1963 and was named the NL Rookie of the Year. Sixteen years later Rose took his talents to Philadelphia where he helped the Phillies win the 1980 World Series.

It was his third World Series ring, joining the two he earned with the Big Red Machine. Rose played four seasons in Philadelphia. In 1983 he hit just .245 in 151 games for the Phils and was released in October.

Three months later in January, 1984 he signed with Montreal. He played 95 games with the Expos before the Reds engineered a trade on August 16th to bring their favorite son home.

Upon reacquiring Rose, the Reds named him player/manager. Shown here is a Western Union telegram from then-National League President Chub Feeney congratulating Rose on being named to the position.

Rose penned his autograph along the right side of the telegram. Interestingly, Feeney’s successor will be Bart Giamatti, the man who handed Rose his lifetime ban.

Like many of the hit king’s personal mementos, this one was put up for sale by Rose. Today it resides in the Cooperstown Expert collection.

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Pete Rose put up Hall of Fame numbers from any perspective. He captivated the interest of the American public in his pursuit of Ty Cobb’s all-time hit record.

On September 11, 1985 Rose stroked a single to left-center field off of Padres hurler Eric Show and stood on top of the baseball world. Rose’s induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame was thought to be a sure thing until evidence came to light that he broke baseball’s Cardinal Rule.

Investigator John M. Dowd interviewed many of Rose’s associates, including alleged bookies and bet runners. The Dowd report documented Rose’s alleged gambling activities in 1985 and 1986 and compiled a day-by-day account of Rose’s alleged betting on baseball games in 1987. It documented his alleged bets on 52 Reds games in 1987.

On August 23, 1989 Commissioner Bart Giamatti was the central figure in the agreement with Pete Rose that banned the career hits leader for life.

Shown here is a check signed by Giamatti before the Rose issues. The future commissioner signed it in his role as NL chief. Rose has autographed the check just above Giamatti’s signature.

Interestingly the check is made out to umpire Charles Williams, the first African-American to work the plate in a World Series. Williams has endorsed the check on the reverse as has Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck.

Nine days after Rose signed the agreement Giamatti had a massive heart attack and died at his summer home in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

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Though the value of this piece comes primarily from the signatures of Bart Giamatti and Pete Rose, the reverse of the check is endorsed by two meaningful figures in baseball history.

The check is made out to Charlie Williams, the first umpire to work the plate in a World Series game who has signed his name on the back of the check.

Below Williams’s signature is that of legendary announcer Jack Buck whose play-by-play work earned him recognition from the Baseball and Football Halls of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame among others.

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Pete Rose gambled his way out of baseball. Placed on MLB’s permanently ineligible list, Rose hoped remain eligible for the Cooperstown ballot.

The Hall of Fame dashed the those hopes in February of 1991 with a rule changed. The board of directors declared any man on the baseball’s permanently ineligible list who not appear on any ballot for the Hall.

Known as the Pete Rose rule, it came just before the Hit King first appeared on the writers’ ballot. By then Fay Vincent ruled baseball as commissioner. He succeeded Giamatti who passed away 9 days after banning Rose.

This letter from Vincent clarifies the official situation for Rose. Notice the envelope with the New York postmark of September 3, 1991. That dates it one year to the day before Vincent received a “no-confidence” from the owners.

“Thank you for your recent letter and the interest you have expressed in Major League Baseball. Your comments regarding Pete Rose and the Hall of Fame are duly noted.

“The Hall of Fame committee’s decision regarding people on baseball’s permanently ineligible list was made completely independent of the Commissioner’s Office. As Commissioner I had no role in their debate and subsequent decision.

“Regarding Mr. Rose, I fell it improper to comment on his situation until he applies for reinstatement.”