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Pete Rose Record Breaking 4,192 Hit Baseball (PSA/DNA)
The record everyone thought was unbeatable. The very baseball that Pete Rose plowed into left center field off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show on September 11, 1985 to surpass the half century old record set by Ty Cobb for 4,192 lifetime hits. A major moment in the annals of sports, it shook the game and the world along with it. It became the single most important and anticipated event in the history of Cincinnati baseball since the founding of professional baseball with the 1869 Red Stockings. The provenance and authenticity of this baseball are well documented and airtight. Purchased in 1987, it was most explosive news to sports memorabilia insiders. It will forever be known as the first ever piece of sports memorabilia to be sold for in the six figures. This represents a changing tide in the small world of sports collecting. Overnight, “The Hobby” as it is still known, became an industry. Pete Rose himself had sold this hallowed orb along with the bat from that memorable day, directly to a famed, Cincinnati based collector, who was also Rose's insurance agent. The same collector also obtained the red Corvette Pete received from the Cincinnati Reds in recognition of the milestone. All three pieces were displayed for many years on the showroom floor of his high-end Cincinnati-area sports memorabilia store until just recently. The ball is accompanied by a plethora of documentation including copies of a notarized letter signed by Rose himself, a letter from the collector who bought it from Rose, a page from the Dowd Report where Rose states that he sold the bat and ball to the collector, and numerous other news articles in which Rose acknowledges selling the bat and ball to the collector. For years, the bat and ball where pictured on a large billboard on the back of the scoreboard at Great American Ballpark as well as being on display at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition, this ball was pictured in Sports Illustrated shortly after the record breaking hit. Also included are images of Pete Rose and the collector together with the bat and ball. The ball also comes with documentation from PSA/DNA authenticating the writing on the baseball as being that of Pete Rose. Most of the early records have fallen, but most, from the casual fan to the historical expert, thought that Ty Cobb’s 4,191 was the one that would never to be beaten. But there was deny at lay here. If there was one man who could do it, Peter Edward Rose was the one. Despite his flaws, the man known as Charlie Hustle had the talent, a spirit for the game, the determination and drive, and the STRENGTH to make it happen. And he did. This baseball has never been offered publicly and surfaces for the first time since 1985. Baseballs of this caliber have sold for in the six figures and a couple have brought in the millions. Of any of them, this is the one that transcends the game and holds the greatest potential to live forever.
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