Pete Rose, the all-time major league leader in hits and games played who was banned for life for betting on baseball, died Monday. He was 83.
The medical examiner in Clark County, Nev., confirmed Rose’s death to ESPN after it was reported by TMZ and by ESPN baseball commentator Eduardo Perez, who said on “SportsCenter” that he had spoken with Rose’s son.
The engine of the “Big Red Machine” for a combined 19 years in Cincinnati, Rose helped the Reds win consecutive World Series in 1975 and 1976 before winning a third title with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. Rose won the 1973 National League MVP Award and the 1975 World Series MVP.
The man nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” also played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1979-84) and Montreal Expos (1984) in between stints with the Reds and went on to manage Cincinnati from 1984-89, the first three years as a player-manager.
“The Reds are heartbroken to learn of the passing of baseball legend Pete Rose,” the Reds posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a black and white photo of Rose in his playing days.
No one has surpassed Rose’s totals of 4,256 hits, 3,562 games or 14,053 at-bats. He ranks sixth all-time in runs (2,165). He was a lifetime .303 hitter with 160 home runs, 746 doubles and 1,314 RBIs.
Rose famously was not allowed into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of his lifetime ban, which was handed down in 1989. Shortly after, he pled guilty to two charges of tax evasion, as he had filed income tax returns that failed to include income from selling autographs and memorabilia.
He admitted to betting on baseball in 2004, insisting he never bet against the Reds, and for years he advocated for his ban to be overturned.
Rose was allowed to participate in a ceremony honoring MLB’s All-Century Team in 1999, but the league was selective about other moments that he would be allowed to appear at the ballparks in Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
