The baseball world lost a legendary, but controversial figure on Monday with the death of Pete Rose.
Rose had more hits than any player in baseball history, accumulating 4,239 hits during 19 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, in addition to stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos. He is one of only two players (with Ty Cobb) to amass 4,000 hits during his career.
Yet Rose was banned from the sport for life in 1989 for betting on matches while manager of the Reds, even betting on his own team’s games. That prevented him from working for an MLB team and made him ineligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Shortly after reports of Rose’s death circulated among news outlets and social media, the Reds posted a message saying the franchise was “heartbroken” by the passing of a team icon.
ESPN baseball analyst Eduardo Perez, whose father Tony was a teammate of Rose on the legendary “Big Red Machine” teams of the 1970s, confirmed the news when he appeared with Jay Harris on “SportsCenter” after Monday’s doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. .
As his SportsCenter interview about the MLB Postseason was about to end, an emotional Eduardo Pérez broke the news that Pete Rose has passed away. pic.twitter.com/KeMU4CmHHF
— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2024
Longtime Reds announcer Thom Brennaman – whose father Marty was the team’s play-by-play voice during the end of Rose’s Reds career – paid tribute.
I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Rose when I was ten years old in Tampa.
As a child he was the same to me as when I announced his games.
And I never turned my back on a friend when my career was in tatters.
He was just a great guy to be around.— Thom Brennaman (@ThomBrennamanTV) September 30, 2024
“I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Rose when I was 10 years old in Tampa,” said Brennaman, who covered the Reds when Rose was manager. “He was the same to me as a kid as he was when I announced his games. And he never turned his back on a friend when my career was in tatters. He was just a great guy to be around.”
Marty Brennaman expressed his feelings through Cincinnati sportscaster Jeremy Rauch.
“I can’t believe he’s gone. My two best baseball friends are gone,” Brennaman told Rauch. “First Joe Morgan and now Pete. It’s hard for me to get a handle on it at the moment.’
Just heard from Marty Brennaman on the passing of Pete Rose:
“I really don’t know what to say. I can’t believe he’s gone. My two best baseball friends are gone. First Joe Morgan and now Pete. At the moment I find it difficult to get a grip on that.” @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/GaYDHmc70H
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) October 1, 2024
Cincinnati sports talk radio host Mo Egger spoke on behalf of the city and its fan base, who considered Rose one of their own, regardless of how much his status may have been affected. He was a hero to so many people growing up
“Pete Rose means a lot to a lot of people in this town. You may understand why. You may not understand why. But he does. For better or for worse,” Egger posted on social media.
“Whatever the second half of his life represented – and it has made his legacy very complex – Pete, more than anyone else, is identified with a period in Cincinnati that still means a lot to a lot of people here. And part of a lot of people’s youth just passed away.”
Pete Rose means a lot to a lot of people in this town.
You might understand why.
You may not understand why.
But he does. For better or for worse.
Whatever the second half of his life represented – and it has made his legacy very complex – Pete becomes more than…
— Mo Egger (@MoEgger) September 30, 2024
Another sports icon, Magic Johnson, praised Rose for “helping me fall in love with baseball.”
We have lost one of the greatest, most exciting, and strongest players to ever play in the history of baseball! Thank you, Pete, for helping me fall in love with baseball. Rest in peace🙏🏾
Cookie and I will be praying for the Rose family. All of baseball should mourn this… https://t.co/aYRI8J3lhG
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 1, 2024
Alex Rodriguez, who worked with Rose on Fox’s MLB studio show during the postseason, said he was “absolutely heartbroken” over his death.
“He always brought a smile to my face when we worked together at Fox,” Rodriguez said. “He was [a] truly original and 1 of 1. No one loved baseball more than Pete and I will miss him terribly.”
Absolutely heartbroken to hear the devastating news of Pete Rose’s passing. 💔
He always brought a smile to my face when we worked together at Fox. He was truly original and 1 on 1. No one loved baseball more than Pete and I will miss him terribly. pic.twitter.com/gNsjWOJaQM
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 1, 2024
Famed slugger Jose Canseco, MLB’s first 40-40 player, was one of the first former players to express condolences on social media for Rose’s death.
Another acclaimed hitter, Wade Boggs, who had 3,010 hits during his baseball career, called Rose his “idol and friend.”
Words can’t describe how I feel right now, my idol and friend who grew up wanting to be Pete Rose, you will be missed dearly, my friend, RIP my brother 💔😢 pic.twitter.com/hQfGVgWzxK
— Wade Boggs (@ChickenMan3010) October 1, 2024
Many in the sports media relayed the news while offering their condolences, including ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, New York Post reporter Jon Heyman and longtime baseball writers Jose de Jesus Ortiz and Jayson Stark.
“There has never been another player like Pete Rose in my life,” Greenberg wrote, posting a famous photo of Rose sliding headfirst into second base. “This is how I will remember him. He played the game harder than anyone ever has. Few athletes leave a more complicated legacy.”
“Today, let’s thank Charlie Hustle,” he added, “for playing the way we always dreamed if given the opportunity.”
There has never been a player like Pete Rose in my life. This is how I will remember him, playing the game harder than anyone ever has.
Few athletes will leave behind more complicated legacies. Today is not the day for that.
Today let’s just say thank you… pic.twitter.com/pXgnSZXUZg
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) September 30, 2024
“Pete Rose was the most enchanting baseball figure I ever covered,” wrote Stark, an acclaimed writer for ESPN and The Athletic. “Just like we couldn’t stop watching him when he played, we couldn’t stop talking about him all the years since. It saddens me that he never had his Hall of Fame induction.
‘But that is largely up to him. He had opportunities to change his story,” he continued. “He just never took the road to make that happen. So RIP to the Hit King. Thank you for the pleasure of watching you play. I will never forget the memories you left us with.”
Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball players in history. He was loved across the country, especially in Cincinnati.
I remember visiting him in 1999 and again in 2015.
Rest in peace, king of all time. https://t.co/lN27slKhwV— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) September 30, 2024
Pete Rose was the most enchanting baseball figure I ever covered.
Just as we couldn’t stop watching him play, we couldn’t stop talking about him all the years since.
It makes me sad that he never had his Hall of Fame induction. But that is largely up to him. He…
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 1, 2024
Louisville head basketball coach Pat Kelsey said Rose was his childhood hero and an inspiration.
“Pete Rose epitomized effort and hustle. The ultimate competitor,” Kelsey wrote. “He was my kid’s hero. My inspiration to dive on loose balls, sprint to first base on a walk, and play every game like it was my last. Rest in peace Charlie Hustle. The Hall of Fame sucks without you!”
💔 Pete Rose embodied effort and hustle. The ultimate competitor. He was my childhood hero. My inspiration to dive for loose balls, sprint to first base on a walk and play every game like it was my last. Rest in Peace Charlie Hustle. The Hall of Fame is worthless without you! pic.twitter.com/WRBE6hyraY
— Pat Kelsey (@patkelsey) September 30, 2024
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also released a statement following Rose’s death.
“In 1963, our pastor Father Bertke took my father and me to the Reds’ Opening Day. It happened to be Pete Rose’s first game for the Reds,” DeWine wrote. “Fran and our family have had the pleasure of watching Pete play for the Reds hundreds of times over the years. No one has ever worked harder or hustled more than Pete Rose. No one has ever gotten more out of his natural talent than Pete Rose. a real pleasure to watch him play baseball.”
Several tributes and eulogies for Rose note his complicated legacy. Maybe that’s why there aren’t even more accolades for Rose online. At least not yet.
A ban by Major League Baseball could make it difficult – or uncomfortable – for many sports organizations to comment on Rose’s death. For example, at the time of writing, the MLB account on X (formerly Twitter) has not said anything. There is also nothing about the news on MLB.com.
Perhaps that will change in the coming days as news of Rose’s death becomes more widely known. Regardless of whether Rose is officially welcomed into baseball, he is undoubtedly a part of baseball history whose career is a cherished memory for many fans and contemporaries.
