Who was Pete Rose? Hits, records, MLB suspension explained
This article has been updated to correct information.
MLB's all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, passed away Monday, September 30 at 83 years old. Rose is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, racking up an astonishing 4,256 hits over his 24-season career with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Montreal Expos. Rose was a 17-time All-Star and won three World Series as well as the 1973 National League MVP.
Despite all of Rose's accomplishments, Rose may be most well-known for being withheld from the MLB Hall of Fame. Here is everything to know about the man nicknamed "Charlie Hustle."
Pete Rose dies:Pete Rose, MLB's all-time hits leader who earned lifetime ban, dead at 83
What MLB records does Pete Rose hold?
Rose is the MLB's all-time leader in:
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- Hits: 4,256
- Games Played: 3,562
- At-Bats: 14,053
- Singles: 3,215
Rose's most notable record is hits. Rose is one of only two players with 4,000 career MLB hits (Ty Cobb), and the distance in hits between Rose and MLB's No. 3 all-time hits leader – Hank Aaron; 3,771 – is greater than the distance between Aaron and No. 12 Willie Mays (3,293).
Why isn't Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame?
In 1989, Pete Rose was given a lifetime ban from MLB after it was revealed that Rose had placed bets on his Cincinnati Reds while he was playing for and managing the team between 1985 and 1987.
Rose's eligibility for the Hall of Fame has come and gone at this point. Even if MLB were to lift the ban, Rose would no longer be eligible for Cooperstown. However, the controversy lies in MLB's acceptance of gambling recently. Although it is still forbidden for players to gamble on their own teams/performances, MLB now allows live betting in many of its ballparks. The league even has an official gambling partner in FanDuel.
The Big Red Machine
Outside all the hits, Rose helped the Cincinnati Reds earn two World Series titles. The Reds were arguably the most dominant team in Major League Baseball during that stretch, earning the moniker "The Big Red Machine." Between 1970 and 1979, the Reds averaged over 95 wins per season.
At their peak, alongside Rose, the Reds featured Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, Dave Concepcion, and Cesar Geronimo.
Bench, Morgan, and Perez are all in the Hall of Fame. Morgan died in 2020 at the age of 77.
Pete Rose nickname
Rose was renowned for this playing style, which was unrelenting. As the story goes, Yankees greats Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle spotted Rose early in his career and dubbed him "Charlie Hustle" to denote someone who would play every last second as if it were the World Series.