Reusse: Pete Rose is MLB’s best hitter despite being banned for gambling

“He was playing amateur ball in Dayton in the spring of 1960,” McCoy said. “He was relatively slow, had a weak arm and the swing was pretty ugly. But his uncle, Buddy Bloebaum, was a ‘bird dog’ scout for the Reds, and they signed Pete as a favor to Buddy.”

By 1963, Rose was playing second base for the Reds. By 1965, at Met Stadium in Bloomington, he was playing second base for the National League in the All-Star Game as part of perhaps the greatest team ever assembled in baseball.

Rose would play in 17 All-Star Games at five positions: second and third base, right and left field, and late in his career, at first base. “When the Big Red Machine added Joe Morgan, he left second and moved to left field,” McCoy said, “Later, [manager] Sparky Anderson told Pete they had to get George Foster in left field, so he moved to third without ever having played there.

“Pete didn’t care, as long as he got his at-bats.”

McCoy paused a second and said: “He lived for hits.”

Rose had returned to the Reds (from Montreal) in August 1984, to be both manager and player. Remember, no designated hitter in the NL, so he put himself at first base to get the at-bats he coveted.