Pete Rose, MLB’s all-time hits record holder who faced a lifetime ban, passes away at 83
(This article has been updated to include new details.)
Pete Rose, who holds the record for the most hits in Major League Baseball history, died on Monday at the age of 83, as confirmed by the Cincinnati Reds to YSL News Sports. The cause of death has not been announced.
Rose, known for his impressive 4,256 hits—a milestone likely to remain unmatched—was banned from baseball in shame following a thorough 1989 investigation that uncovered he had wagered on games involving the Reds, the team he managed. In a deal signed with Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, Rose accepted a lifetime ban from the sport in exchange for the league not officially declaring whether he bet on baseball.
Giamatti passed away on September 1, 1989, only a week after the agreement was established. Since then, three MLB commissioners—Fay Vincent, Bud Selig, and Rob Manfred—have upheld Rose’s ban, leaving him ineligible for the Hall of Fame, which has frustrated many of his fans.
Recently, the ban has drawn criticism amid the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in 38 states and D.C. Major League Baseball, along with other sports leagues, has formed partnerships with various sportsbooks, angering supporters of Rose who believe it is hypocritical to penalize him for betting.
Despite this, MLB has remained consistent in punishing players who bet on games in which they are involved, as seen in the lifetime ban of infielder Tucupita Marcano and one-year suspensions for four other players found guilty of betting on baseball.
After his retirement, Rose resided in Las Vegas, continuing to capitalize on his fame by signing autographs and participating in baseball events, including the Hall of Fame inductions in Cooperstown, New York. His attendance at the latest Hall of Fame weekend marked one of his final public appearances.
The fallen star was a stark contrast to the fiery player once known as Charlie Hustle, who famously hustled through a 24-year career spanning teams in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Montreal, with his last three seasons spent back in Cincinnati.
He surpassed Ty Cobb’s longstanding hits record of 4,191 with a hit against San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show on September 11, 1985. By that time, he was already serving as player-manager after taking on that role on August 16, 1984, ultimately retiring as a player in 1986.
However, the dark chapter of his baseball career unfolded three years later when an extensive investigation brought to light substantial evidence of his gambling on games. He ended up serving five months in federal prison for tax evasion between 1990 and 1991.
While Rose consistently expressed his desire to return to baseball, his arguments were often weighed against the comprehensive 225-page Dowd Report, commissioned by Giamatti and led by former DOJ attorney John Dowd.
The report included alleged betting slips and testimonies from Rose and other individuals. In his 2004 autobiography, “My Prison Without Bars,” Rose admitted to placing bets on games he managed.
“I’m sure I’m supposed to act all sorry or sad or guilty now that I’ve accepted that I’ve done something wrong,” he wrote. “But you see, I’m just not built that way. Sure, there’s probably some real emotion buried somewhere deep inside. Maybe I’d be a better person if I let that side of my personality come out.
“But it just doesn’t surface too often. So let’s leave it like this: I’m sorry it happened, and I’m sorry for all the people, fans and family that it hurt. Let’s move on.”
Despite leaving a significant mark on baseball, his past actions continued to haunt him through retirement. In 2017, allegations emerged from an unnamed woman claiming Rose had an inappropriate relationship with her when she was 14 years old in 1973. Rose acknowledged the relationship but contended that it started when she was 16, which is the age of consent in Ohio.
In 2022, during a ceremony honoring the 1980 champion Phillies at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, Rose dismissed questions regarding the statutory rape allegation, responding to a female reporter, “It was 55 years ago, babe.” He also told journalists: “I’m here for the Philly fans, I’m here for my teammates, OK? I’m here for the Philly organization, and who cares what happened 50 years ago?”
Rose still holds numerous career records in baseball, including most games played (3,562), most plate appearances (15,890), most at-bats (14,053), and of course, most hits (4,256). He clinched three batting titles, achieving his best batting average of .348 with the 1969 Reds, ultimately finishing with a career average of .303.
A key player in the renowned Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s, Rose helped lead the team to four World Series, winning championships in 1975 and 1976. He was named MVP of the ‘75 Series, where he hit .370 and reached base 16 times as the Reds triumphed in an epic seven-game series against the Boston Red Sox.
In 1980, Rose won another championship with the Philadelphia Phillies’ “Wheeze Kids,” showcasing his enduring batting skills at the age of 39, hitting 42 doubles that season.
Ultimately, he’d always be regarded as a Red, being a native of Cincinnati, and he returned to his hometown team in a trade from the Montreal Expos in August 1984, marking the beginning of his tenure as player-manager—a period during which he solidified his status as the Hit King. His downfall ensued three years later, with the lifetime ban accompanying him until his death.