MLB Legend Pete Rose passed away on Sept. 30, 2024, at the age of 83 after a long, hard battle with heart disease. Rose is the MLB’s all-time hit leader and was also one of the most controversial players in MLB history. He bet on his teams during his playing years, but overall, Rose was an exciting player to watch as he created moments in history that players and the MLB will remember forever.

Rose played in the MLB for 24 seasons from 1963 to 1986, and during his career, he played for three different teams: the Reds, Phillies and the Expos. During this time, Rose won three World Series (1975, 1976, 1980), was the 1963 National League Rookie of the year, the 1973 Most Valuable Player, won three batting titles and two Gold Gloves, was a 17-time All-Star and was named to the 199 MLB All-Century Team.

Rose was Inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2016 and is still the only player to this day to lead the MLB in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and singles (3,215). Rose had an all-time batting average of .303, hit 160 home runs, 746 doubles and 198 stolen bases.

According to MLB.com and Rose’s former manager, Bob Castellini, “He was one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and every team he played was better because of him. Pete was a Red through and through. No one loved the game more than Pete, and no one loved Pete more than Reds Country. We must never forget what he accomplished.” While that may be true to this day, Rose did something that would affect him for the rest of his life. In 1989, Rose was permanently banned from ever playing or coaching in the MLB after he got caught Gambling on Reds Games. 

According to ESPN.com and the report that was commissioned to Rose from the MLB in 1989,

“Rule 21 is clear: Any player, umpire, Club, league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.”

While this did put a tarnish on Rose’s career and legacy, one of the most influential and crucial plays in Rose’s career and the MLB happened in the 1970 All-Star game when Rose ran headfirst into Ray Fosse, winning the game for the National League 5-4. This play changed Fossie’s career forever as he never made another All-Star game the rest of his career, and he had chronic pain for the rest of his career till his retirement. Due to this collision and the collision between Buster Posey and Scott Cousins, the Posey rule was created. This rule prevents runners from deviating from their direct path to the plate, and catchers cannot block the runners’ path to the plate unless they have the ball.

Rose was an impactful player on and off the field, broke and holds multiple records and above all, played the game as hard as he could. He is a Cincinnati legend and a legend of the game altogether, and while he will be deeply missed, his legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of Cincinnati fans and MLB fans across the world for years to come.