Pete Rose, one of the greatest players and most complicated figures in baseball history, has died at age 83. Rose is Major League Baseball's all-time hit king, though never was inducted into the Hall of Fame because he was found to have bet on baseball, including in games he participated in, as both a player and manager.
As hard-nosed as any player to ever play the game, Rose was nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" throughout his career, though it was not given to him affectionately. The exact origin of the nickname is disputed. Rose claims it was given to him sarcastically by New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle in spring training in 1963, Rose's rookie season.
"It was 1963, my rookie year, and we were playing the Yankees in spring training," Rose told the Village News in 2018. "I came in as a pinch runner. I slid, head first, into third base. Then a guy hit a pop up that the shortstop (Tony Kubek) caught. I ran to home and slid head first. We won the game. After the game, Mantle told reporters, 'Did you see that Charlie Hustle beat us today?' The next day the headline in the papers was: Charlie Hustle Beats Yankees."
It has also been said that Yankees lefty Whitey Ford gave Rose the "Charlie Hustle" nickname after he sprinted to first base following a walk that same spring training. Regardless, the nickname was not meant to compliment his aggressive playing style. It was derisive, but Rose adopted it, and wore it as a badge of honor throughout his career.
Perhaps no play better demonstrated Rose's hard-nosed style than his collision at home plate with Ray Fosse on the final play of the 1970 All-Star Game. Rose collided with Fosse as the throw reached the plate and scored the game's winning run, but was roundly criticized for such a dangerous play in an exhibition game.
Fosse, who was only 23 at the time, suffered a broken and separated shoulder in the collision and the injury never did heal correctly, leading to chronic pain that Fosse played through the rest of his career. He was never the same hitter after that.
"I've got to do everything I can to score there. My dad's at the game," Rose said in 2017. "The reality is I missed the next three games. He didn't miss any. And he went on to play nine more years. But I ruined his career? I wasn't trying to hurt him. If I wouldn't have knocked Ray Fosse on his ass, you would not have known who he was."
The Cincinnati Reds honored Rose with a bronze statue outside Great American Ball Park in 2017. The statue depicts Rose sliding headfirst into a base as a nod to the "Charlie Hustle" nickname.
In parts of 24 big league seasons, Rose hit .303/.375/.409 with 746 doubles and 160 home runs with the Reds (1963-78), the Philadelphia Phillies (1979-83), the Montreal Expos (1984), and the Reds again (1984-86). He retired as baseball's all-time leader in games played (3,546), plate appearances (15,890), and at-bats (14,053) in addition to hits (4,356).
Rose served as a player-manager with the Reds from 1984-86, and then as manager only from 1987-89. His teams went 412-373 (.525) during his time as manager. Rose has been on the permanently ineligible list since 1989, when he agreed to that punishment as a consequence of alleged gambling on MLB games, allegations that were later confirmed.
