Posted on: September 30, 2024, 09:44h. 

Last updated on: September 30, 2024, 09:45h.

Pete Rose, the baseball legend who revolutionized sports betting like Edward Snowden did for whistleblowing, passed away in Las Vegas on Monday at 83 years old, confirmed by Sports Illustrated. The cause of his death is still unknown.

Rose, known as “Charlie Hustle” for his dedication to the game, holds the record for most career hits in Major League Baseball (4,256). Throughout his illustrious 24-year career, with 19 years spent playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Rose achieved numerous accolades, including being a 17-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion, a National League MVP, and a World Series MVP.

Rose also maintained an impressive career batting average of .303.

“Every summer, three things are going to happen,” Rose once famously said, “the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.”

Despite being a strong candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was denied entry.

Hall of Shame

In March 1989, Rose was involved in a betting scandal that rivaled the infamous 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal, where players were banned for fixing the World Series. As the manager of the Reds, Rose was found to have placed bets on his team’s games.

Although Rose denied any wrongdoing, an investigation concluded that he had engaged in extensive betting activities on baseball, causing a lifetime ban from the sport and barring him from the Hall of Fame.

Despite his ban, Rose continued betting on baseball in Nevada casinos, emphasizing the difference between legal and illegal betting in his autobiography, “Play Hungry.”

Rose’s love for baseball never wavered, and interacting with fans and signing autographs provided him solace amidst the scrutiny he faced.