Former Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose has died at the age of 83, as confirmed by ABC News on Monday.
One of the greatest baseball players of all time, Rose was a 17-time All-Star, three-time batting title winner, and has the most hits of all time with 4,256. His best season came in 1973 when he won the Most Valuable Player award after compiling a .338 average and 230 hits in 160 games. Rose spent the first 16 years of his career in Cincinnati before signing a four-year, $3.2 million deal with the Phillies ahead of the 1979 season.
Former Phillies World Series champion Pete Rose dies at 83
Rose spent five seasons with the Phillies, earning four All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger and a World Series championship in 1980. He was a part of three division title teams and helped the Phillies make an unprecedented second World Series appearance in four years in 1983.
In 745 games with the club, Rose hit .291 with eight home runs and 255 RBI. His tenure came to an abrupt end after the 1983 season when the team released him following a (then) career-worst season in which he compiled a .245 average and .602 OPS in 555 at-bats.
The Phillies released a statement after Rose's passing on Monday:
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 1, 2024
After his release from the Phillies, Rose went on to play his final three seasons with the Montreal Expos and Cincinnati Reds and cemented his legacy in 1985 when he became the MLB all-time leader in hits, breaking Ty Cobb’s long-standing record that was originally set in 1927. During this time, he also managed the Reds, becoming the last player-coach in MLB history.
Rose officially retired from baseball in 1986 and continued to manage until 1989 when he was permanently banned from baseball following allegations of gambling. Because of this, Rose was never inducted into the Hall of Fame during his lifetime despite efforts for reinstatement. In 2016, Rose was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and was scheduled to receive the same honor from the Phillies in 2017 before it was canceled due to yet another off-the-field controversy. Rose returned to Philadelphia one last time in 2022 as part of the Alumni Day festivities honoring the 1980 World Series championship team.
In addition to having the record for most hits in baseball history, Rose also holds the records for games played, singles, times on base, and career runs by a switch hitter. At the time of his retirement in 1986 as a player, Rose held the record for the highest fielding percentage by a right fielder at 99.14 percent. During his time with the Phillies, he primarily took the field at first base, where he started 702 of his 745 games. He also spent time at both corner outfield and infield positions. Along with Mike Schmidt, he created one of the most intriguing duos in baseball history, both at the plate and in the field.
While his legacy took a hit due to off-the-field issues, Rose is undoubtedly one of the greatest baseball players of all time on the field. His records and contributions to the sport and the Phillies organization will live on forever.