Since 2001, September 11
th has been widely known for the terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States that year.
But on that date in 1985, Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb as baseball's all-time hit leader. Rose, playing for the Cincinnati Reds, lined a first-inning single off Eric Show of the San Diego Padres for his 4,192
nd hit at Riverfront Stadium.
There's a Morton College connection to the game. Panther baseball alum Gene Walter pitched in the game, striking out Tom Browning and Eddie Milner in the bottom of the eighth inning. The on-deck hitter? None other than Rose.
You can see Walter on You Tube. Look for minutes 1:55 to 2:01. It was the then 24-year-old's 10
th game in the majors. He pitched in the majors for the Padres, Mets and Mariners from 1985 to 1988.
Here's the You Tube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lC3ClRQiAU
In addition, Gene played with the following notable players in the majors and minors:
San Diego Padres
Steve Garvey – 1974 NL MVP, 10-time All-Star, played in 1,207 consecutive games
Graig Nettles – Six-time All-Star, best remembered for quote on time with Yankees: "When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a baseball player and join the circus. With the Yankees, I have accomplished both."
Tony Gwynn – 2007 Hall of Famer, .338 lifetime batting average
Bruce Bochy – Manager of 2010, 2012 & 2014 San Francisco Giants World Series championship teams
LaMarr Hoyt – 1983 Cy Young winner with Chicago White Sox
New York Mets
Gary Carter – 2003 Hall of Famer
Keith Hernandez – 1979 NL MVP
Darryl Strawberry – Played on 4 World Series championship teams
Dwight Gooden – 1985 Cy Young winner, went 24-4 with 1.53 for New York Mets
Ron Darling – TBS national baseball coverage/MLB Network
Clint Hurdle – Reached World Series as manager of 2007 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners
Harold Reynolds – Fox Sports/MLB Network host
Rick Renteria – Former Cubs and White Sox manager
Edgar Martinez – 2019 Hall of Famer, .312 lifetime batting average
Louisville Redbirds (minors)
Jaime Moyer – Pitched in four decades in majors
Syracuse Chiefs (minors)
Al Leiter – MLB Network host
