Baseball legend Pete Rose passes away at 83

Baseball legend Pete Rose has passed away at the age of 83, as confirmed by the Clark County, Nevada, medical examiner to ABC News on Monday.

Pete Rose, Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader who became a controversial figure after being banned for gambling on the game, has passed away at the age of 83, the Clark County, Nevada, medical examiner confirmed to ABC News on Monday.

According to the medical examiner, Rose was found at his home by a family member, and there were no signs of foul play. A coroner's investigation is underway to determine the cause and manner of death. The medical examiner noted that Rose was not under a doctor's care at the time of his death, and the scene is currently being examined.

Rose was celebrated for his workmanlike attitude and relentless hustle on the field. Over his 24-year career, 19 of which he spent with the Cincinnati Reds, he set records for most career hits, games played, plate appearances, and at-bats. He was a 17-time All-Star, the 1973 National League MVP, and the 1963 Rookie of the Year. He also won three World Series titles—two with the Reds’ “Big Red Machine” in 1975 and 1976, and a third with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980.

However, Rose is perhaps best known for the scandal that led to his lifetime ban from MLB in 1989 after it was revealed he had bet on games while managing the Reds. Following suspicions regarding his gambling, then-MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti commissioned an investigation led by attorney John Dowd. The investigation, released in June 1989, documented at least 52 bets on Reds games during Rose’s first season as manager, amounting to thousands of dollars daily.

Faced with mounting evidence, Rose voluntarily accepted placement on baseball’s ineligible list in August 1989, although he continued to deny betting on his team for over a decade. He finally admitted to gambling on Reds games in his 2004 autobiography, "My Prison Without Bars." In an interview with ABC News, he expressed regret for not coming clean sooner, stating, “I bet on baseball in 1987 and 1988. That was my mistake, not coming clean a lot earlier.” He insisted that he never bet against his team, maintaining that he wanted to win every game.

Two years after his ban, the Baseball Hall of Fame ruled that no one on the ineligible list could be inducted, fueling ongoing debates about Rose's legacy. Despite several petitions to the league for reinstatement—submitted in 1992, 1998, 2003, 2015, and 2022—Rose's requests were either denied or went unanswered.

Rose's legendary status on the field is unquestionable. He captivated the nation during his pursuit of the career hits record, breaking Ty Cobb's mark on September 11, 1985, with his 4,192nd hit. He ended his career with 4,256 hits, a record that still stands today. Only a few players, including Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols, have come within 1,000 hits of Rose’s record since it was set.

In addition to his on-field achievements, Rose garnered attention in 1978 for making a run at Joe DiMaggio's legendary 56-game hitting streak, recording a hit in 44 consecutive games—still the second-longest streak since 1900.

Throughout his life, Rose was married twice and was in a long-term relationship with model Kiana Kim since 2011, with whom he appeared on the reality show "Pete Rose: Hits and Mrs." in 2013. He had four children, and his eldest son, Pete Rose Jr., played in the minor leagues for over a decade, appearing in 11 major league games with the Reds in 1997.

Despite his ban, Rose remained connected to baseball; his No. 14 was retired by the Reds, and he was named to the sport’s All-Century Team in 1999, receiving a standing ovation at the All-Star Game in Boston. Reflecting on his legacy in 2004, Rose stated, “I owe baseball. Baseball doesn’t owe me a damn thing. I owe baseball. And the only way I can make my peace with baseball is taking this negative and somehow making it into a positive.