"When I get the record, all it will make me is the player with the most hits. I'm also the player with the most at bats and the most outs. I never said I was a greater player than Cobb"
About this Quote
The subtext is defensive and strategic. Rose knows the record chase will invite a comparison with Ty Cobb, a name that carries myth, menace, and “pure hitter” romance. So he preempts the argument by reframing his own identity: not the most gifted, not the most elegant, just the most relentless. By pairing hits with “at bats” and “outs,” he turns a celebratory stat into a ledger that includes its own waste. It’s humility, but also control: if he defines the terms as volume and durability, he wins on the field he’s chosen.
Context matters. Rose’s brand was hustle, availability, accumulation - a workman’s legend built in an era when baseball was already getting more self-conscious about history and records. His refusal to claim he’s “greater” than Cobb reads as respect, but also as a hedge against backlash: he can take the applause without inviting the purists’ knives. The irony is that the statement quietly argues for a different kind of greatness - not transcendent talent, but the daily willingness to fail publicly, thousands of times, and keep showing up anyway.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Rose, Pete. (2026, January 16). When I get the record, all it will make me is the player with the most hits. I'm also the player with the most at bats and the most outs. I never said I was a greater player than Cobb. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-get-the-record-all-it-will-make-me-is-the-101149/
Chicago Style
Rose, Pete. "When I get the record, all it will make me is the player with the most hits. I'm also the player with the most at bats and the most outs. I never said I was a greater player than Cobb." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-get-the-record-all-it-will-make-me-is-the-101149/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When I get the record, all it will make me is the player with the most hits. I'm also the player with the most at bats and the most outs. I never said I was a greater player than Cobb." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-get-the-record-all-it-will-make-me-is-the-101149/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
