Five reasons to lift Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame ban
By John Buhler
No. 3: Charlie Hustle is Timeless
Pete Rose has not played a game of baseball in going on 30 years. It has been nearly 40 years since he was anywhere close to his prime. However, his iconic nickname of Charlie Hustle has been able to stand the test of time.
Regardless of how the lifetime ban has effected Rose’s perception as a person, nobody questions how hard he played during his big league career. From popularizing the head first slide to hustling out weak grounders to the right side to effectively ending Ray Fosse’s big league career with a home-plate collision in an All-Star Game, Rose never took a play off in his 24 big-league seasons.
He’s the type of player baseball dads want the kids to emulate on the baseball diamond. His hustle and determination to succeed nightly for well over two decades has not been fully replicated. A reason for his career singles record is that he wanted it more than any other player on the diamond.
The guy loved baseball and willed himself into one of the greatest baseball players ever, despite not being the best athlete during his playing days. Rose may go down as one of the game’s feistiest competitors and is a testament to hard work paying off through daily persistence.
There may not be a better compliment to give a young baseball player than to coin him a Charlie Hustle type of player. It best accentuates the baseball savvy required to become a champion. Rose personified what it meant to play the game of baseball hard every day for 24 years. His nickname will likely continue to stand the test of time.
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