Pete Rose, the most popular baseball player in history to be suspended for betting on the sport, has died at 83, the Clark County, Nevada, medical examiner confirmed to ABC News on Monday.
Ross was found by a family member. The medical examiner will conduct an investigation to determine the cause and manner of death, but there is no indication of foul play, according to ABC News.
“Charlie Hustle” was known for his relentless style of play, but did not make the Hall of Fame during his lifetime. Only gambling prevented him from being inducted, as his accomplishments on the field are undoubtedly worthy of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Rose’s 4,256 hits are 67 more than Ty Cobb’s career total, the most in MLB. Rose also has the most appearances and at-bats in history. During his career from 1963 to 1986, Ross won three batting titles and led the league in hitting seven times. He was the 1963 Rookie of the Year, a 17-time All-Star and the 1973 National League MVP.
His best seasons were as part of the “Big Red Machine” of the Cincinnati Reds, which won back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976. Rose was the MVP of the ’75 World Series. In 1978, Rose shocked the baseball world by ending Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. He ended up hitting a National League record 44 games, but that was it.
Even before the gambling scandal broke, Rose was a polarizing figure. His tough style was loved by the team’s fans, but not everyone appreciated it. Nothing summed up that dynamic better than the 1970 All-Star Game, when Rose hit Cleveland shortstop Ray Fosse for the game-winning pitch. Although the All-Star Game was taken more seriously than it is today, many still frowned upon the game. But even those who don’t love him have to admit that Rose is one of the greatest players of all time and definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame. But it all fell apart in 1989. Major League Baseball is investigating rumors that Reds manager Rose had bet on baseball. John Dodd’s report concluded that Rose placed bets on baseball games, including his own team. During a legal battle in which Ross denied ever playing baseball, he eventually relented and accepted a lifetime ban from then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti. Shortly after the ban took effect, Ross was also sentenced to several months in prison for tax evasion.
Many believed that Ross accepted the ban in hopes of successfully applying for reinstatement, but that never happened. Although he applied several times, most recently in 2015, he was always rejected. Arguments against reinstatement often stem from the fact that Ross never admitted wrongdoing. He eventually admitted in his 2004 autobiography that he had bet on baseball, including Reds games, but said he never bet on his own team.
Baseball made an exception to that ban in 1999, allowing Rose to participate in the ceremony at Turner Field as a member of the MLB Team of the Century.