Presented is a 1979 letter from the Cincinnati Reds to Pete Rose announcing that the Reds would retire Rose's number 14. Rose had a 24-year Major League career: Cincinnati Reds (1963-78 & 1984-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-83), Montreal Expos (1984), He was a 3-time NL batting champion, a 17-time All-Star, a NL MVP, and eventually passed Ty Cobb to become the MLB all-time Hit King (with 4,192), on Sept. 12, 1985, as once again a Cincinnati Red, and the team's manager. Rose ended his career with 4,256 hits, still baseball's all-time best. The offered typed letter is on Cincinnati Reds' stationery and dated May 23, 1979. In part, the letter states, "Dear Pete, It is my pleasure to inform you that the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati Reds, Inc., in recognition of your distinguished playing career with our organization and to honor you, has voted unanimously to retire permanently number 14." The letter is signed by Louis Nippert, the Reds Chairman. The letter was enclosed in an official Cincinnati Reds' envelope (also included) and sent to Rose via the Philadelphia Phillies, the team on which he played in 1979. The letter measures 7.2x10.3", and the envelope measures 3.8x7.5". Despite the notice in the letter, the Cincinnati Reds did not actually retire Rose's number until 2016, as his involvement with gambling on baseball made the Reds delay in actually retiring his number 14. The letter has some very light fold marks from when the letter was folded into three parts before being placed in the envelope. The letter and mailed and envelope (postmarked May 23, 1979) have been attractively matted and framed into approx. 13.5x22.1". The letter and envelope are in excellent condition.