Honoring Pete Rose on a U.S. Coin

Let’s get Pete Rose, nicknamed “Charlie Hustle,” on a United States coin! Ever since his death was announced last year on Sept. 30 at the age of 83, I have been contemplating how the United States should honor him with a special coin. I have been wanting to write about this for Viewpoint in hopes that other numismatists and Pete Rose fans would agree and support me on this idea. I believe, with what transpired in the news, it is a good time to consider this overdue recognition of one of the prominent figures in sports history.

Not long ago, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he discussed baseball legend Pete Rose with President Donald Trump at a meeting a couple of weeks prior, and he plans to rule on a request to end the sport’s permanent ban on the career hits leader. Manfred is considering a petition to have Mr. Rose posthumously removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list. A petition was filed by Jeffrey Lenovo, a lawyer who represented Rose prior to the 17-time All-Star’s death at the age of 83. Trump posted on social media that he plans to issue “a complete pardon of Pete Rose.” The president went on to say that “Rose shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but that he only bet on his team winning.” Trump announced that he would sign a pardon “over the next few weeks,” but has not announced the date he would do so.

Lenkov wants to have Pete Rose reinstated so that he can be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Under the rule that was adopted by the Hall’s board of directors in 1991, anyone on the permanently ineligible list cannot be considered for election to the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose did apply for his reinstatement in the late 90s, but the then-Commissioner Bud Selig never ruled on Rose’s request. He was later denied his “application for reinstatement” by none other than Manfred back in 2015. If Rose is reinstated, it does not mean he will automatically get into the Hall of Fame, but he would be eligible for consideration to be placed on the ballot to be considered by the committee in 2027.

My hope is that Rose does get reinstated and indeed someday gets into the Hall of Fame. I believe he certainly deserves that honor with all his accomplishments in the sport. If he does, or even if not, then possibly honor him with a coin, a commemorative or special issue, or a medal. Maybe part of the “Greatest American” series?

Just to recall some of his achievements as a baseball legend, and there are many, here are some of his achievements and records. Rose was one of the few switch-hitters in baseball and is a Major League Baseball all-time leader in hits with a whopping 4,256. He also leads in games played with 3,562, at-bats with 14,053, singles, 3,215, and outs, 10,328! The man won three World Series Championships, three batting titles, and the Most Valuable Player Award, along with two Gold Glove Awards and Rookie of the Year! As Phil Rizzuto would have said, “Holy Cow,” that’s some amazing statistics. Do we need any more reasons for him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame or put on a U.S. coin?

Pete Rose was not just a one-position player. He played Outfielder, First Baseman, and Third Baseman, all with the utmost perfection. I truly believe he loved the game of baseball and absolutely loved to play, stealing bases like a pro he was, watching him play was a thrill. He had a lifetime batting average of .303, and after retiring from playing, he became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds until 1989. That year, he came under investigation by the professional baseball commissioner because of reports that he bet repeatedly on sports, including his own Cincinnati Reds.

In the mid-80s, I had the pleasure of meeting Rose at a book signing in East Meadow, N.Y., at a bookstore near my home. I had to leave work early to go see my hero, and I wasn’t going to miss it for anything. I pretended I wasn’t feeling too well and had to go home. Locked in my car, my camera loaded with film, zoom lens attached, and ready in hopes of catching a glimpse of a sports legend. Keep in mind, I was never much of a sports fan, let alone had many heroes in my life, but Mr. Rose was something special.

Not to my surprise, upon meeting him, I found him to be a nice guy, courteous and friendly. A bit into himself, but wouldn’t you be if you had his status and credentials? We actually had a short but interesting conversation until I mistakenly brought up the incident of him beating up Budd Harrelson of the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. A rather uncomfortable moment in his career, to say the least. Stupid of me to bring this up in New York, with a man who played for Cincinnati and was considered a tough guy and maybe a bit of a bully. After my inconsiderate question, many of the fans at the bookstore booed the poor fellow! He looked at me with a grin on his face and said, How could you bring this up in NY? We still managed to shake hands, and I ended up taking a few photos of him, which I still have today. Overall, he was an exceptionally good sport about the whole incident and was received by many with open arms.

So, here is why I believe he should be on a U.S. coin or medal. Perhaps on a new quarter series honoring great American athletes or legends. Possibly a new commemorative half-dollar or dollar coin.

He has some of the most amazing stats of any baseball player. He never was in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he should have been. Mainly because someone did not like him. He will possibly be inducted into the Hall of Fame sometime in the future. He was one of the hardest-working players ever in the sport of baseball. He is still one of the most accomplished and recognizable athletes in history. He, for the most part, was well-liked by many and seemed to be generally a nice guy. Although he had a tough exterior, I think deep down, he cared about his fellow players and cared deeply about the game. Many other players in baseball and other sports have been honored in various ways, some without the credentials that Pete Rose has.

It’s about time we gave this man a chance to get into the Hall of Fame or give him a coin or medal in his honor. As a fan of his, I would like to push for this to happen in any way I can, perhaps starting here in Numismatic News Viewpoint with my suggestion.

Who here agrees with me? Let’s write some letters to the editor about this and get Mr. Rose on a coin. Maybe we will have some influence on actually getting this done.

This Viewpoint was written by Philip Lo Presti of Jupiter, Fla.

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