I’m sure you have heard that Pete Rose is no longer with us. Rose passed away last week at the age of 83.
Rose had a complicated relationship with Major League Baseball to say the least. I was actually in attendance at the 1989 Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies when then-commissioner Bart Giamatti declared that Rose would not have anything to do with baseball. Given that there were multitudes of Reds fans in Cooperstown to see Johnny Bench inducted, that didn’t go over well with the crowd.
The lifetime ban for Rose has stood over time despite his all-time record of 4,256.
The card I have chosen is Pete Rose’s 1969 card. That year, he played right field for the third place Reds. Rose had played six seasons but already had batted .300 four times and eclipsed 200 hits three times. In 1969, it was no different.
He hit .348 in 1969, his highest batting average for a full season. That won the NL batting title. He also collected 218 hits, his second highest total of his career.
And thanks to a total of a career high 16 home runs plus 11 triples, his slugging percentage passed the .500. He finished the season with a .512 mark.
Charlie Hustle seemed to steal a few bases every year. Looking at his stats though, there were many years that he had more caught steals. The 1969 season was no exception with 7 SB and 10 CS.
Rose was an All-Star in 1969 and even garnered a Gold Glove award for his work in right field.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 Totals | 156 | 156 | 731 | 627 | 120 | 218 | 33 | 11 | 16 | 82 | 7 | 10 | 88 | 65 | .348 | .428 | .512 |
Pete’s Points
Straight and simple, Pete Rose is a hitter. He gets you a base hit. And with this card, he will do that. Especially in the pitching-rich 1960s era in comparison to his colleagues.
Rose has a total of four 7s plus a 15-10. That means he has a 25-7. Interestingly, he only has two 8s on his card.
Rose’s 1969 card does have power numbers 0-0-0 with nine second column ones. If Rose plays his 731 plate appearances, he should reach his 16 home runs. I don’t see any second column singles either.
Rose walked for a total of 88 times in 1969, his highest amount up until then. APBA rewarded him with four 14s. I was curious if my memory was correct and yes, Rose did lead off for the 1969 Reds for almost every game.
Rose is rated as a fast baserunner by APBA. The cardmakers however, were not impressed by Rose’s 1969 Gold Glove award and rated him with a OF-2. For his two games at second base, he was given a 2B-7. It was shades of things to come.
Like others in the 1990 reprint of the 1969 season, Rose has the somewhat unusual 12-12 play result. The 25 on the cards in that set was moved to 52 and subsequently, the 27 was moved to our favorite catch-all number, 23.
My opinion on Rose’s eligibility
Frankly, I think Rose deserves a shot at the Hall of Fame. I’m not vociferous about this because he really hasn’t helped his cause. I know the arguments against it and they are good ones. That’s a slippery slope in my opinion. I just feel Rose has made mistakes like so many Hall of Famers but wasn’t able to cover them up.
Thanks to my commissioner Mike, for coming through with this card!
