Charlie Hustle...

It was on August 14th, 1986, that the great Pete Rose got his last hit. It brought it career total to 4,256. This is the most hits by any player in the history of the game. He played an amazing 23 years. He was player of the decade in the 1970's. Because of the way he played the game, he was nicknamed "Charlie Hustle." Rose once said that he'd "walk through hell in a gasoline suit to keep playing baseball." He truly love to play the game and it showed. One of his most memorable plays was during the 1970 All Star game. It had gone into extra innings, and he came around to score. The catcher was guarding the plate and Pete barreled through him. When he was asked why he did it, he said he "always played to win." I can remember seeing him play through high school. "The Big Red Machine" was my favorite team and Pete was my favorite player. It was fun to root for the Reds because my best friend rooted for the Dodgers and they always seemed to play each other a lot. It is rare when you find a player that loves the game like Pete did. It is sad what happened to him after he retired. He could have been a great manager. Only after 15 years, did he publicly admit he had bet on baseball, which lead to him being banned from the game. He always bet for his team to win, not that makes it any easier to understand. At this point, he is easily one of the best to ever play the game. The Hall of Fame should look at his accomplishments as a player, not at the events that led to the lifetime ban. The fact that he is not in the Hall is a black eye on the game. I loved to watch him play. I wish there was another cut from the same cloth, but there never will be. Charlie Hustle, the game will never be the same with out you!