This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2021
For all the infamy that has come Pete Rose's way, he is inarguably a Hall of Fame caliber talent. Although he never had a .350 season, never hit 20 homers or drove in 90 runs, and for all his glory as a gritty hustler, stole 20 bases in a season just one time; what Pete Rose did was show up every day and consistently deliver a level of excellence that places him at or near the top of the all-time list in several offensive categories. Rose was a three-time National League batting champion and stands as baseball's all-time leader in games, at-bats, and hits. In his prime years from 1965 through 1980, Pete Rose played in 98% of his team's games and averaged 646 at-bats, 103 runs, 203 hits, 38 doubles, and a .314 batting average, leading to World Series championships for the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. It's no surprise that Pete Rose's rookie card, part of the wildly colorful 1963 Topps series, is one of the most desirable issues of the decade, especially when one can be found as incredibly fresh as this PSA 8 beauty. The blue colored edges are virtually free of any chipping whatsoever while the brilliance of the red and yellow pigment is quite evident. The centering, often a problem in the '63 series, is virtually dead-on perfect. One another day, it's very possible that this important specimen might have been assessed a half-grade higher. Any great vintage collection needs a top-notch Rose rookie card, and this one certainly fits that description!