The Cincinnati Reds confirmed on Monday that Pete Rose, the hit king of Major League Baseball who was later expelled from the game, had passed away.
Although Rose’s death was confirmed to ABC News by the Clark County, Nevada, medical examiner, the circumstances surrounding his passing are still unknown.
Known by his nickname “Charlie Hustle,” Rose played in Major League Baseball for 24 years, retiring as the league’s all-time hits leader among his many accomplishments. The native of Cincinnati began his career with the Reds in 1963 and played for them for the first 16 seasons. His two World Series victories in 1975 and 1976 were the team’s first in thirty-five years.
Following that, Rose played for five years with the Philadelphia Phillies, where in 1980 he earned his third World Series championship. In 1984, he then played for the Montreal Expos for half of the season before concluding his playing career back in Cincinnati.
Rose recorded the most hits in MLB history with 4,256 at the end. He and Ty Cobb are the only two players to have more than 4,000 hits. In addition, Rose owns MLB records for at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890), and games played (3,562). Throughout his career, he received 17 All-Star selections, two Gold Glove trophies, and three batting crowns. In 1973, with a batting average of.338 and 230 hits, five home runs, and 64 RBI, he was the MVP of the league.
Including the final few seasons when he was still playing, Rose managed the Reds for seven seasons. In that capacity, he concluded with a 412-373 overall record and two division crowns.
But Rose’s career ended in controversy when, as the Reds’ manager, he was barred from the sport in 1989 for betting on games, including those of his own side.
Rose was found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to several months in prison shortly after he accepted a lifetime ban from then-commissioner Bart Giammatti. In a 2004 book, he acknowledged to having placed baseball bets after initially refuting the claims.
Rose has not been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame due to the lifetime prohibition, which has been the subject of ongoing dispute throughout the years. In an attempt to return in 2015, he attempted to be reinstated, but new commissioner Rob Manfred rejected it. Betting on games the way he did, Rose said, was his only regret.
