Auction Item Details
Lot 508
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Lot Number: 508
Description: Significant Pete Rose autographed 4,000th hit baseball. The (24) year span from 1963 to 1986 saw both the meteoric rise of Pete Rose and his unfortunate, and very public, struggles within the baseball world. His list of on field accomplishments is staggering with the more notable including 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, (2) Gold Gloves, an MVP season in 1973, (3) World Series Championships, (3) batting titles, (17) All-Star Game appearances, and a spot on the All-Century Team. His greatest achievement remains his consistent hitting which, coupled with his never say die playing spirit, has left him the games All-Time Leader in hits with 4,256. To put that number into a relative context, he is only the second player to have reached 4,000 and one of (28) to have reached 3,000. The closest active player in baseball today would need to collect over 1,000 to even come close. Rose in unquestionably one of the greatest players of all time and were it not for the highly publicized gambling scandal, in which he has admitted guilt, he would certainly have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. The offered baseball is one of the most significant we have brought to auction in many years; the ball with which he collected hit number 4,000. Unless the ball hit by Ty Cobb for his 4,000th surfaces, this will more than likely remain a singular piece of its type. Rawlings C.Feeney ONL baseball has been signed on the side panel, "Billy Bob, Thanks for all the help, Pete Rose" in black marker. Remaining panels have been neatly lettered with pertinent game information including date, score, and attendance. A detailed account of the moment itself reads "In the bottom of the 4th, Jerry Koosman pitching for Phile, the count 1 ball, 1 strike, Pete Rose hit this ball down the right field line for a double, his 4,000th, 21 years to the day that he got his first Major League base hit." Moderate usage wear is evident throughout with scattered soiling and a small area of loss to the League stampings. Black marker signature, which is inscribed to his hitting Coach Billy DeMars, rates 8/9 out of 10. Includes LOA from Hunt Auctions, Auction LOA from JSA, Letter of provenance signed by Pete Rose, and article from the period referencing Pete Rose giving the ball to Billy Demars: EXEstimated Price Range: ($25,000-$50,000)