Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83.
Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark county in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died on Monday. Wheatley said a cause of death has not yet been determined.
For fans who came of age in the 1960s and 70s, no player was more exciting than the Cincinnati Reds’ No 14. “Charlie Hustle” was a brash superstar with shaggy hair, a puggish nose and muscular forearms. Rose was old school, a conscious throwback to baseball’s early days. He would crouch and scowl at the plate, running full speed to first even after drawing a walk.
