Expos History: Pete Rose Notches 4000th Career Hit
There was one player in the history of Major League Baseball to collect 4000 career hits. That is, until this day, when Montreal Expos first baseman Pete Rose joined that exclusive club.
Depending on how one views Nippon Pro Baseball and Ichiro’s accomplishments, there are two or three players in the 4000 hit club. Ty Cobb was the founding member, and until this day in 1984, the only person to reach that milestone. He was joined by Montreal Expos first baseman/outfielder Pete Rose on this day, exactly 21 years after his first Major League hit.
In a somewhat fitting fashion, the hit came against his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose had spent the previous five seasons in Philadelphia, where he was a four time All Star and helped bring the Phillies their first World Series title. While he was a part of their 1983 National League champion team, Rose had lost his starting job by the end of the year, allowing him to become a free agent.
Just one hit away from the milestone, Rose led off the game for the Expos. He was retired on ground ball to second, then reached on an error by pitcher Jerry Koosman in the second. With a runner on in the fourth, Rose got his 4000th hit, taking the 1-1 pitch down the right field line for a double.
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Rose would come around to score on Tim Raines‘ one out single, sliding into home to give Montreal a 4-1 lead in their eventual 5-1 victory. It would be one of the few high points for Rose with the Expos, as he struggled to a .259/.334/.294 batting line in his 95 games north of the border. He was eventually traded back to Cincinnati, where he ended his career as a player/manager, the last one in MLB history.
Of course, we all know how his time in the game ended. He was banned for life by Bart Giamatti due to his gambling on baseball. While he denied doing so for years, Rose finally admitted to wagering on the game, although he maintains that he never bet on his team. It was a sad ending to one of the more storied careers on the diamond.
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Pete Rose may be remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds, but he also had his moments of glory elsewhere. One of those came as a member of the Montreal Expos, where he notched his 4000th hit on this day in 1984.