Pete Rose: 44-Game Hitting Streak

Pete Rose: 44-Game Hitting Streak

[paypal_donation_button]Pete Rose: 44-Game Hitting Streak

Also known as Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose was by far one of the most competitive players on the baseball diamond who gave it everything he had during the course of a game. Major League Baseball gained some popularity in the 1970’s in part due to the success of Rose and his talented teammates who made up the dominant “Big Red Machine” teams in Cincinnati. After winning World Series Championships in 1975 and 1976, there was one significant time period on the horizon for Rose as a player, and that came in the form of chasing an individual record.

1978 would be the year when Pete Rose would become a legitimate threat to challenge center fielder “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio’s single season record of 56 consecutive games with a hit. 1978 happened to be a good year in general for Rose as he batted .302 with 52 RBI’s, 198 hits, a whopping 51 doubles, 3 triples and 13 stolen bases. Rose drew 62 walks for the year and only struck out 30 times. Rose recorded a .362 on base percentage, a .421 slugging percentage and a .783 OPS, which combines the on base and slugging percentages.

What is sometimes lost in discussions is how solid Rose was on defense as he played in 1,277.1 innings as a fielder. In 153 games started Rose had 388 defensive chances, and he would record 117 putouts, 256 assists and turn 23 double plays while committing only 15 errors. Rose’s fielding percentage in 1978 was .961. Rose would make the 1978 MLB All-Star Game as the National League’s starting third baseman.

Rose’s initially unbelievable hitting streak began on June 14 when he got 2 hits off Chicago Cubs pitcher Dave Roberts. Rose then went on to get 2 hits with 1 double off John Denny, 2 hits off Pete Vuckovich, and then 1 hit off Silvio Martinez of the St. Louis Cardinals. Rose would then get 2 hits with 1 double off John Montefusco and 1 hit each off Ed Halicki and Charlie Williams of the San Francisco Giants.

On June 23 Rose got 1 hit off Burt Hooton, and then got 4 hits with 1 double off Don Sutton. Rose then topped off his run against the Los Angeles Dodgers with 2 hits off Tommy John. Taking on the Houston Astros Rose would get 1 hit each off Mark Lemongello, knuckleball specialist Joe Niekro, Tom Dixon and Floyd Bannister. Rose’s hit off Bannister would be a double.

On June 30 in Game 1 of a doubleheader Rose got 1 hit off Lance Rautzhan, and then in Game 2 he would record 3 hits against Bob Welch. Rose would get 1 hit with 1 double off Rick Rhoden, and then Doug Rau of the Dodgers fell to Rose by giving up 1 hit with 1 double. Taking on the Astros again Rose would get another 3 hits with 1 double off Floyd Banister, 1 hit off J.R. Richard and then get another hit off Joe Niekro.

In Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Giants, Rose would get 3 hits off National League Cy Young contender Vida Blue, and then in Game 2 he would get 3 hits off Jim Barr. Rose would then get another hit off John Montefusco, and followed that up by getting 3 more hits off Ed Halicki. On July 10 Rose got 2 hits with 1 double off Jerry Koosman, and the next day he got 2 hits off Pat Zachry. Finishing off the 4-game series with the New York Mets Rose had 1 hit off Craig Swan and 1 hit with 1 double off Paul Siebert.

On July 17 Ross Grimsley of the Montreal Expos would give up 1 hit to Rose, and then Hal Dues gave up 2 hits with 1 double. The Philadelphia Phillies came up next as both Ron Reed and Jim Kaat would give up 1 hit each. Going right back to the Expos Ross Grimsley gave up another hit to Rose while Dan Schatzeder gave up 1 hit. Steve Rogers gave up 2 hits with 1 double to Rose. On July 24 Pat Zachry gave up 2 more hits to Rose while Craig Swan gave up 3 more hits along with 1 double. Rounding out the Mets Nino Espinosa gave up 1 hit with 1 double. In Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Phillies Rose got 1 hit off Randy Lerch, which was a double, and then in Game 2 he battled another National League Cy Young contender in Steve Carlton. The end result of this battle was a hit for Rose. Jim Londborg gave up 3 hits, and then Larry Christenson gave up 2 hits.

On July 31 knuckleball specialist Phil Niekro would be the last one to give up a hit for Rose to extend his hitting streak. The next game on August 1 Rose failed to record a hit against Atlanta Braves pitchers that refused to pitch fastballs to him, according to Charlie Hustle himself in interviews.

While he came up 12 games short of tying Joe DiMaggio’s record of 56 straight games with a hit, Pete Rose did manage to tie legendary right fielder Willie Keeler’s streak of 44 straight games with a hit. Keeler had set his streak with the original Baltimore Orioles back in 1897. A very interesting note to consider is that throughout the course of his hitting streak Rose never hit a home run, though he was certainly capable of showing off his home run hitting power at any time.

Sadly Pete Rose would be given a lifetime ban from the game of baseball on August 24, 1989 for betting on the game of baseball. Nevertheless Rose’s 44-game hitting streak has stood the test of time, being regarded as one of the best displays of hitting in Major League Baseball history.