The city of Cincinnati and the baseball community said goodbye to one of the game’s greatest players. Pete Rose passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 30, 2024 at the age of 83.

Rose played 19 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds, 5 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, and 1 season with the Montreal Expos. In 1985, he broke the record for most hits (4,256 by the end of his career), which still stands today. Rose also won three World Series titles (2 with Cincinnati and 1 with Philadelphia) and also was the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year, 1969 and 1970 Golden Glove award winner, 1973 National League MVP, 1975 World Series MVP, and 17-time All Star.

Along with Pete Rose’s fame and success came controversy. In 1989, it was discovered that Rose placed bets on baseball games at the same time he was also the Reds’ manager, and as a result, was given a lifetime ban from baseball. Rose also became ineligible to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite attempts to have that decision reversed. He was inducted into the Red’s Hall of Fame in 2016, and his jersey number, 14, was retired by the Reds as well.

Despite Rose’s controversies, he is still remembered as one of baseball’s greatest players, and his legacy will live on in the records he still holds and the countless fans he has impacted throughout his career.

Authors Note:

As a Cincinnati Reds fan myself, I have grown up hearing about Pete Rose from my father and grandfather from their experiences watching him play the game. He quickly grew to become one of my favorite players from the eras he played in. I had the privilege of meeting Pete in the summer of 2016 at a signing event, and one of the things that stuck with me out of everything was his sense of humor. He has heavily influenced my love for baseball. He will always be one of the greatest Reds players to me and to many other Reds fans around the world.

Thank you, Pete.