Ranking the Top 5 greatest first basemen in Phillies franchise history

No. 3: Pete Rose

The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t the first team you think of when you hear the name Pete Rose, but "Charlie Hustle" left his mark on Philadelphia in a big way. The MLB all-time hits leader did just that while he was a Phillie, he hit.

In his five years in Philadelphia, from 1979 to 1983, Rose batted a .291 average, accumulating 826 hits, 325 walks, and minuscule 151 strikeouts. Rose was the definition of a professional hitter.

Rose was a major part of a winning culture in Philadelphia. In the three years immediately before Rose joined the team (1976, 1977, and 1978), the Phillies lost in the NLCS each year. When he signed as a free agent at the 1978 Winter Meetings, it changed the attitude of the clubhouse and team. They would go on to win the World Series in 1980, the first in franchise history. They would reach another World Series two years later in 1983 but would lose.

However you may feel about Rose and his off-field issues, there was no doubt that he was an extraordinary baseball player who was able to raise the ceiling of whatever team he was on. The 1980 Phillies team is particularly special to Philadelphia, and Rose was right at the heart of that team.