Pete Rose was the kind of guy you loved if he was on your team, and hated if he wasn’t. His aggression and nonstop energy, his desire to win at any cost astonished even his toughest opponents. “If you have someone equal in ability to me I will beat him every time because I will try harder,” he used to say. That ferocious desire to win and easy ability to charm strangers meant Rose mostly won in life. But when he lost—at gambling, in personal relationships, with Major League Baseball’s front office—the world saw the other side of him. Rose was loved for the same reason he was hated. Because he was consumed by and reflected back to us the entire bloody human carnival, all of its virtues and, if not all, at least a lot of its vices. He was the most of us and the least of us. He had it all, and he never stopped giving it until the day he died. This magazine tells the complete story, Pete Rose’s story.
Remembering Pete Rose - Baseball’s Hit King
A PROFOUND reflection • Charlie Hustle owned America’s pastime by embodying its deepest and darkest desires.
Growing Up A ROSE • Pugnacious Pete’s parents exerted strong influences from different directions.
Majoring in THE MINORS • After seasons in New York, Florida and Georgia, the ‘hot dog’ earns his shot.
Dashing DEBUT • At 22, Rose became one of the unlikeliest Rookies of the Year in baseball history.
Military MAN • Rose avoided Vietnam by becoming a reservist then ended up close to the action.
1960s: Becoming CHARLIE HUSTLE • By the end of the decade, Rose occupied a unique place in baseball.
A Certain Style • How did Rose hit so well? The master explains.
ALL-STAR IMPACT • A ferocious moment changed the trajectory of two careers and sealed a reputation.
Driving the BIG RED MACHINE • Hero, villain, star, heel. In the 1970s, Rose and the Reds were everything to everybody.
Rose’s Greatest Game • The day Charlie Hustle traumatized the Mets’ pitching staff.
Mr. 3,000 • Rose becomes synonymous with milestones and records.
AT LAST! • Rose was the MVP of the most memorable World Series of all time.
SWEEP feeling • The 1976 World Series proved the Reds were baseball’s best team.
The STREAK • Rose captivated the country chasing one of the holiest records in sports.
Philadelphia FREEDOM • The Phillies’ gamble on Rose pays off big, then slowly falls apart.
Feels like THE FIRST TIME • New team, same story. Rose continued his winning ways in the 1980 World Series.
A MONTREAL MINUTE • Rose joined Cobb in the 4,000-hit club while playing for the Expos.
Return to CINCY • Rose races to catch Ty Cobb and outrun MLB investigators.
PETE & MARGE • The Reds’ truculent owner welcomed Rose home and became a trusted ally.
12 defining MOMENTS • Rose was notorious off the field, but these events explain him as a player.
DOWNFALL • Gambling on baseball got Rose banned from the game and defined the second half of his life.
NO REDEMPTION • Following his ban from baseball, Rose couldn’t overcome his biggest obstacle: himself.
Proud PAPA • When son Petey finally made it to the bigs, his dad was there to cheer him on.
TROUBLE MAN • Gambling wasn’t Rose’s only problem. Over the years he was embroiled in multiple scandals and unsavory stories.
The Cooperstown QUESTION • Rose’s death supercharged the debate about whether he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame
Tributes to THE HIT KING • After the legend’s passing, the praises began pouring in.