Tony Perez, a former teammate and dear friend of Pete Rose, shared details about his last encounter with the baseball icon, which took place just a day before Rose passed away.

Perez, who spent 13 seasons alongside Rose with the Cincinnati Reds as part of the famous “Big Red Machine,” was present at the Music City Sports Collectibles and Autograph Show in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday. This was the day before Rose died at his home in Las Vegas. Other notable players from Cincinnati’s successful 1970s team, including Dave Concepcion, George Foster, and Ken Griffey Sr., were also there.

“He wasn’t well and didn’t look good,” Perez stated. “He wasn’t very chatty and didn’t say much.”

Perez’s remarks came after another former Reds player, Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, expressed concern for Rose. During his appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Bench mentioned he was worried about Rose’s well-being after hearing stories from friends who met with him.

“The guys were really worried about him on Sunday because he just didn’t seem like the old Pete,” Bench noted. “It’s truly sad.”

Perez also mentioned that the last time he had seen Rose before Sunday was about six months earlier at a different card show, where Rose appeared in much better shape. Perez fondly remembered their time together on the field, noting Rose’s strong work ethic motivated their entire team.

“Watching him play made you want to give your all,” Perez explained. “If you didn’t hustle or run the bases correctly, you’d feel out of place because Pete was relentless. He played hard and never let up.”

Rose passed away at the age of 83 due to hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as reported by the Clark County (Nevada) Coroner’s Office.