Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits in baseball but a three-time world champion and 17-time All-Star who remains out of the sport’s Hall of Fame, died Monday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 83.
Rose, who retired as a player in 1986, managed the Reds from 1984-89, when he was banned by Major League Baseball for betting on games.
Although he agreed to the ban, Rose adamantly denied his gambling involvement for nearly 15 years – despite mountains of proof to the contrary – before admitting to gambling in his 2004 autobiography.
Rose said he bet on the Reds but never against them.
“I would rather die than lose a baseball game,’’ Rose wrote. “I hate to lose. There is no temptation on earth that could get me to fix a game.”
Bart Giamatti, MLB’s commissioner at the time, placed Rose on baseball’s permanently ineligible list — Giamatti died eight days later of a massive heart attack — where Rose remained until his death despite repeatedly appealing his case to Giamatti’s successors over the years.
Rose’s name has never appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot — although he has received some write-in votes — nor has he been eligible even to be considered for enshrinement by any of the Hall’s veterans committees.
Before his banishment, Rose had compiled a résumé that would have ushered him into Cooperstown on the first ballot accompanied by a brass band.
In 24 seasons with the Reds, Phillies and Expos, the switch hitter collected 4,256 hits — 67 more than Ty Cobb (4,189), who had held the record since 1928, before Rose passed him in 1986.
Rose is also baseball’s all-time leader in singles, games played, at-bats and plate appearances.
An integral part of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine that won the World Series in 1975 and 1976, Rose also won a world championship with the Phillies in 1980.
Rose’s career was one of incredible achievement and longevity. He played in 2,433 games, more than any other player in baseball history. He also collected more hits than any other player, and more singles, games played, at-bats and plate appearances. Rose was a key member of three World Series championship teams, and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1973.
However, Rose’s career was also marred by controversy. In 1989, he was banned from baseball for life for betting on games while he was managing the Reds. Rose denied the allegations for many years, but eventually admitted to gambling in his 2004 autobiography.
Rose’s banishment from baseball has been a source of much debate. Some people believe that he should be reinstated, while others believe that his actions were unforgivable. Rose himself has said that he regrets his actions and that he would do anything to have a chance to play baseball again.
Despite his banishment, Rose remains one of the most popular and respected figures in baseball history. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his name is mentioned in the same breath as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays. Rose’s legacy is complex and controversial, but there is no doubt that he was one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Quick Facts
Born: | April 14, 1941, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
Died: | September 30, 2024 (age 83 years), Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
Spouse: | Carol J. Woliung (m. 1984–2011), Karolyn Englehardt (m. 1964–1980) |
Number: | 14 (Cincinnati Reds / Outfielder, Infielder), MORE |
Bats: | Ambidextrous |
Dates joined: | 1984 (Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos), 1979 (Philadelphia Phillies), 1963 (Cincinnati Reds) |
Children: | Pete Rose, Jr., Chea Courtney, Tyler Rose, Morgan Erin Rubio, Fawn Rose |