He was an average player at best, but his hustle and competitiveness made him great.

 

What say you?

My response:

 

17× All-Star (1965, 1967–1971, 1973–1982, 1985)

3× World Series champion (1975, 1976, 1980)

NL MVP (1973)

World Series MVP (1975)

NL Rookie of the Year (1963)

2× Gold Glove Award (1969, 1970)

Silver Slugger Award (1981)

Roberto Clemente Award (1976)

3× NL batting champion (1968, 1969, 1973)

Major League Baseball All-Century Team

MLB Records

 

4,256 career hits

3,215 career singles

3,562 career games played

14,053 career at-bats

 

Yup, average.

Talent-wise he was average. Guy had more drive, heart and determination than anyone ever to play the game. That's what made him a great player.

I think he way undersold Rose's talent, but I get where he was coming from. Rose wasn't the kind of physical specimen people would gawk at, but had a "blue collar" style of play.

Drive, heart, and determination can get a a guy a lot. But a lifetime average of .303? That's a special talent for putting bat to ball. The guy could play.

........

 

There was a point in time when Rose ceased being a star and became an accumulator. That occurred earlier than most want to admit.

 

He undeniably compiled one of the most impressive baseball-card-backs in the history of the sport.

Let's really look at how many people have played Major League baseball. There is nothing in the world that could convince that dude was "average"

For the record, I am NOT a huge Rose fan. Like him, sure.....love him, nah. But average is an absurd description. Guy was not average.

........

 

There was a point in time when Rose ceased being a star and became an accumulator. That occurred earlier than most want to admit.

 

He undeniably compiled one of the most impressive baseball-card-backs in the history of the sport.

Still hit .265 with a .400 OBP as a 44 year old, come on!!!!! And that was in over 500 AB's....

 

When he was 40, he hit .325. What he was accumulating were absurd offensive numbers at a VERY late age. The numbers simply don't back up your statement.

We're getting back to me questioning some people. Squaring up a baseball on a consistent basis is the toughest thing to do in all sports. To say a guy that has done that more than anyone on planet earth has "average talent" is why I'm questioning some people.

 

You don't play in the league for 24 years on average talent. Hustle and heart gets you so far. He played a good 10 more years with solid production where couldn't have been considered "young".

Still hit .265 with a .400 OBP as a 44 year old, come on!!!!!

 

Don't 5 exclamation point me, I didn't refer to him as average at any point. He is the poster child for being an accumulator, and that isn't a bad thing. He was able to play long enough, and be productive enough, that teams wanted him on the field well past his prime. I've never referred to him as average. In virtually every way on the field he was well above average, and in virtually every way off it he was well below average. Life is funny.

Don't 5 exclamation point me, I didn't refer to him as average at any point. He is the poster child for being an accumulator, and that isn't a bad thing. He was able to play long enough, and be productive enough, that teams wanted him on the field well past his prime. I've never referred to him as average. In virtually every way on the field he was well above average, and in virtually every way off it he was well below average. Life is funny.

See edited previous post !!!!!! (that's 6 of them)

Talent-wise he was average. Guy had more drive, heart and determination than anyone ever to play the game. That's what made him a great player.

 

Say it ain't so. His stats mean nothing and he was average based on your eye ball test? It has to be the eye test because those numbers are absurd.

Can't have that many 200 hit seasons and be average.

If you looked at Pete's physical traits and athletic abilities you would not be impressed. Arm, fielding, running, etc. However, nothing about his hitting ability was average. You can't "will" a hit 4200 times. So, since you simply can't ignore how much above average his hitting was you can't say he was an average player.