On the heels of learning that Dikembe Mutombo, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away, Pete Rose, Baseball’s all-time leader in Hits, passed away today. He was 83.
Rose was one of the most popular players of his day due to his tenacious play and gritty determination. Rose broke in with the Cincinnati Reds, winning the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year, and he emerged as one of the top batters in baseball history. Rose’s resume includes:
3 World Series Championships
1 MVP
1 World Series MVP
17 All-Stars
1 Silver Slugger
2 Gold Gloves
3 Batting Titles
Also playing for Philadelphia and Montreal, Rose returned to Cincinnati as a Player/Manager, where he broke Ty Cobb's hit record in front of his own crowd at Riverfront Stadium. A few years later, Rose was banned from the game he loved when he was caught betting on baseball. He was never reinstated.
The qualities that made him so popular on the diamond also made him unpopular with executives and gatekeepers to baseball-related organizations. The Baseball Hall of Fame, while a separate entity from MLB, upheld that ban and did not place him on their ballots. As such, he never made it to Cooperstown.
On a personal note, I had the privilege of interviewing Pete Rose in Las Vegas twelve years ago. He was kind, gracious, and giddy talking about baseball. It helped make my site worthy, and I will always be in his debt.
We at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to Pete Rose’s fans, family, and friends.
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