The Philadelphia Phillies had won the National League East three years running (1976–1978)—two of which were won with 101-win seasons—but they were unable to make it to the World Series. In 1979, the Phillies believed that Rose was the player who could bring them over the top, and they temporarily made him the highest-paid athlete in team sports when they signed him to a four-year, $3.2-million contract as a free agent.  With perennial All-Star Mike Schmidt firmly entrenched at third, Rose moved to first base.
Although the Phillies missed the postseason in Rose's first year with the team, they earned three division titles (one in the first half of the strike-shortened 1981 season), two World Series appearances and their first World Series title (1980) in the following four years.
Rose had the worst season of his career in 1983, which was also the season that the Phillies played in their second World Series in four years. The 42-year-old Rose batted only .245 with 121 hits and found himself benched during the latter part of the 1983 season when he appeared periodically to play and pinch hit. Rose did blossom as a pinch-hitter, with eight hits in 22 at-bats, a .364 average.