1987 Topps Tiffany Pete Rose

Something we’ll probably never see again in baseball is the true player/manager — and Pete Rose was the last of that rare breed.

Back in the mid-80s, Rose wasn’t just chasing hits… he was running the Reds from the dugout and still stepping into the batter’s box. It feels almost mythical today. With the size of coaching staffs, analytics teams, and the intensity of the modern game, the idea of a player managing while still lacing up just doesn’t seem possible anymore.

Cards tied to moments or roles we’ll never see again just feel special — and Rose closing the book on the player/manager era further solidifies his mark on baseball history, no matter how everything ended.