Pete Rose’s 44-Game Hitting Streak

Pete Rose’s 44-Game Hitting Streak

Pete Rose: 44-Game Hitting Streak

Also known as Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose was one of the most competitive players ever to step onto a baseball diamond, playing every inning as if it were his last. Major League Baseball’s popularity surged in the 1970s in part because of Rose and his talented teammates on Cincinnati’s dominant Big Red Machine teams. After winning World Series championships in 1975 and 1976, one major milestone remained on the horizon for Rose: a run at one of baseball’s most hallowed individual records.

A Standout 1978 Season

Offensive Production

1978 proved to be a strong year for Rose in more ways than one. He became a legitimate threat to challenge center fielder “Joltin'” Joe DiMaggio’s single-season record of 56 consecutive games with a hit, while also putting together one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Rose batted .302 with 52 RBIs, 198 hits, a whopping 51 doubles, 3 triples, and 13 stolen bases. He drew 62 walks on the year and struck out just 30 times, finishing with a .362 on-base percentage, a .421 slugging percentage, and a .783 OPS — the combination of the two.

Defense and All-Star Honors

What’s sometimes lost in discussions of Rose’s 1978 season is how solid he was defensively. He logged 1,277.1 innings in the field and started 153 games, totaling 388 defensive chances. Rose recorded 117 putouts, 256 assists, and turned 23 double plays while committing only 15 errors, good for a .961 fielding percentage. His strong all-around season earned him a spot in the 1978 MLB All-Star Game as the National League’s starting third baseman.

The 44-Game Hitting Streak

Late June: The Streak Takes Shape

Rose’s 44-game hitting streak began on June 14 when he collected 2 hits off Chicago Cubs pitcher Dave Roberts. He kept it going against the St. Louis Cardinals, getting 2 hits with a double off John Denny, 2 hits off Pete Vuckovich, and 1 hit off Silvio Martinez. Facing the San Francisco Giants, Rose added 2 hits with a double off John Montefusco and 1 hit apiece off Ed Halicki and Charlie Williams.

On June 23, Rose got 1 hit off Burt Hooton and then 4 hits with a double off Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers, capping the series with 2 hits off Tommy John. Against the Houston Astros, he added 1 hit apiece off Mark Lemongello, knuckleball specialist Joe Niekro, Tom Dixon, and Floyd Bannister — the hit off Bannister going for a double.

On June 30, in Game 1 of a doubleheader, Rose got 1 hit off Lance Rautzhan, then followed with 3 hits against Bob Welch in Game 2. He added 1 hit with a double off Rick Rhoden and another hit with a double off Doug Rau, both of the Dodgers. Facing the Astros again, Rose collected 3 hits with a double off Floyd Bannister, 1 hit off J.R. Richard, and another hit off Joe Niekro.

Rolling Through July

In Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Giants, Rose got 3 hits off National League Cy Young contender Vida Blue, then added 3 more hits off Jim Barr in Game 2. He picked up another hit off John Montefusco and followed that with 3 hits off Ed Halicki. On July 10, Rose got 2 hits with a double off Jerry Koosman, and the next day added 2 hits off Pat Zachry. Closing out the four-game series with the New York Mets, he got 1 hit off Craig Swan and 1 hit with a double off Paul Siebert.

On July 17, Ross Grimsley of the Montreal Expos gave up 1 hit to Rose, and Hal Dues gave up 2 hits with a double. Facing the Philadelphia Phillies, both Ron Reed and Jim Kaat gave up 1 hit apiece. Back against the Expos, Grimsley surrendered another hit while Dan Schatzeder gave up 1 hit, and Steve Rogers gave up 2 hits with a double. On July 24, Pat Zachry gave up 2 more hits while Craig Swan allowed 3 hits and a double; Nino Espinosa rounded out the Mets series by allowing 1 hit with a double.

In Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Phillies, Rose got 1 hit — a double — off Randy Lerch, then battled fellow Cy Young contender Steve Carlton in Game 2, coming away with a hit. Jim Lonborg gave up 3 hits, and Larry Christenson gave up 2 more.

The Streak Reaches Its End

On July 31, knuckleball specialist Phil Niekro became the last pitcher to give up a hit during Rose’s run. The next day, August 1, Rose was held hitless by Atlanta Braves pitchers who, according to Rose himself in later interviews, refused to throw him fastballs.

A Place in Baseball History

Rose fell 12 games short of tying Joe DiMaggio’s record of 56 straight games with a hit, but by the time it ended, his 44-game hitting streak had matched Hall of Fame right fielder Willie Keeler’s mark, set with the original Baltimore Orioles back in 1897. Notably, Rose never hit a home run during the entire streak, despite being more than capable of going deep at any time.

Rose would later be handed a lifetime ban from baseball on August 24, 1989, for betting on the game. Even so, more than four decades later, Rose’s 44-game hitting streak is still regarded as one of the greatest sustained displays of hitting in Major League Baseball history.