“When I get the record, all it will make me is the player with the most hits. I'm also the player with the most at bats and the most outs. I never said I was a greater player than Cobb.”

American professional baseball player and manager

Pete Rose was an American professional baseball player and manager, born in 1941. Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle," he played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1986 and is best known for his years with the Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he won his third World Series title in 1980, and briefly for the Montreal Expos. Later, he managed the Reds from 1984 to 1989, leaving a record tied closely to hard-nosed play and steady leadership.