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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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Pete Rose played an integral part in three World Series championship teams. His 1975 Reds beat Boston in a 7-game thriller then repeated in ’76. Four years later with the Phillies Rose earned a third ring.

The 1975 Fall Classic is remembered today primarily for Carlton Fisk’s 12th-inning walk-off home run Game 6. Lost in the shuffle is Rose’s MVP performance. He hit .370 with a .485 on-base percentage, and a Series best 10 base hits as the Most Valuable Player. In ten games in his two other Series appearances, Rose went 9-for-39 (.231).

Shown here is a ticket that allowed a lucky fan into Fenway Park to witness Fisk’s momentous home run. His signature is authenticated by PSA/DNA as is the inscription, “Gm 6 WALK OFF HR STAY FAIR! STAY FAIR!”. For more on Fisk, click here.

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The Cincinnati Reds were the National League’s winningest teams of the 1970s. Known as the Big Red Machine, they won six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series titles. From 1970-1979 the averaged more than 95 wins per season.

Built by GM Bob Howsam, the Reds the Reds boasted future Hall of Famers at multiple position and Cooperstown-bound manager Sparky Anderson. Their zenith came in 1975 and ’76 when the won back-to-back titles.

The ’75 team won 108 games and finished 20 games ahead of the second-place Dodgers. Cincinnati swept Pittsburgh in the NLCS then defeated Boston in a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic.

A month after their triumph, Cunard Cruise Lines put together a promotional tour for the world champs. They offered an all-expenses-paid luxury cruise for Howsam, Anderson, players Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and announcer Marty Brennaman. To earn their keep, each man did a presentation and fielded questions from those who attended.

Shown here is the baseball itinerary from that cruise. It is signed by all seven Reds and authenticated by Beckett. The itinerary describes baseball’s all-time hits leader, “Pete Rose – Third Base; named Most Valuable Player of the 1975 World Series”.

The on-board presentations included the following:

“INSIDE THE WORLD SERIES – The inside story of the 1975 World Series from scouting the potential opponents to playing the games. Lean about Sparky Anderson’s pitching rotation strategy; front-office planning and the players’ tactics and reactions.”

“BUILDING A BALL CLUB – Bob Howsom [sic], Sparky Anderson, and Marty Brennerman [sic], discuss how a team is put together; the influence of astro turf, recruiting, drafting, scouting, trading; from front office to dugout.”

“BASEBALL COMMUNICATIONS – (Signs and Signals) – the secrets of signs to and from the coaches such as ‘take’ vs. ‘hit’, ‘bunt’ vs. ‘hit’, and ‘steal’ (what about Joe Morgan on his own?). Defensive players station themselves according to the pitch called for.”

“PARA NUESTROS PASAJEROS QUE HABLAN ESPANOL – A special bi-lingual [sic] meeting with Tony Perez, Marty Brennerman [sic], and others will be held. This will be a question and answer session about major league baseball in North America and the role of Latin America players.”

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Historically 3,000 hits means automatic election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Though he amassed more than 4,000 knocks, Pete remains outside of Cooperstown.

Rose recorded his 3,000th hit on May 5, 1978. Pete came into the game with 2,998 hits. In the bottom of the third inning he beat out an infield single to get one hit away from his magic number. His next time at bat in the fifth Rose hit a line drive to left for #3,000 off of Montreal’s Steve Rogers.

Made a footnote in baseball history that night, Rogers nonetheless pitched well. He scattered 6 hits and struck out 10 in a complete-game victory over the Reds.

Six years later Rose and Rogers were Montreal teammates when Pete recorded his 4,000th career hit off of Phillies right-hander Jerry Koosman.

Shown here is a pair of Topps baseball cards autographed by Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Rogers. The one on the left is Rogers’ rookie card from 1973, the first Topps card on which he appeared. It shows the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year in his home whites.

On the right is a 1983 All Star card. That season Rogers was selected to the All Star game for the 5th and final time. He won 17 games with an NL-leading 5 shutouts on his way to a 4th place finish in Cy Young balloting.

 

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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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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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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.”