Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose, the 44-year-old man who still plays baseball with the joy of a boy, lines a single to left-center in the first inning off San Diego's Eric Show for his 4,192nd hit, breaking Ty Cobb's 57-year-old major league record for career hits.

His teammates mob the 23-year veteran and owner Marge Schott presents him with a red Corvette, driven in from behind the outfield fence. While the sellout crowd of 47,237 at Riverfront Stadium enthusiastically cheers, Rose weeps as he waves to the fans and lays his head on first-base coach Tommy Helms' shoulder.

Then from the dugout comes another No. 14 with the same name on his back. It's 15-year-old Petey Rose Jr. He falls into his father's arms at first base and the two embrace with tears in their eyes.

Rose triples for hit No. 4,193 later in the game. When he retires after the 1986 season, his total will be 4,256.

Or was it? Recent research holds that Cobb's total should be reduced by two to 4189 hits. The mistake was traced to the 1910 season when Cobb had two hits in a game but somehow score sheets were entered twice, on Sept. 24 and again on Sept. 25. Total Baseball lists Cobb's hit total at 4189