MLB legend Pete Rose has died at the age of 83, TMZ Sports has learned.
Rose, Major League Baseball’s hit king, passed away earlier today at his home in Las Vegas.
Pete’s agent, Ryan Fiterman of Fiterman Sports, confirmed the news, saying, “the family is asking for privacy at this time.”
Pete was one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace a diamond, earning 17 All-Star Game nods, winning three World Series and the 1973 N.L. MVP.
Rose, who played first base, second base, and the outfield, accumulated an astounding 4,256 hits over his 24-season career.
Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle,” Rose personified grit and toughness on the field. He spent the majority of his legendary career with the Cincinnati Reds, but also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos, before returning to Cinci and finishing his career as a player-manager.
Rose hung up the spikes for good (as a player) in 1986.
Of course, Rose wasn’t without controversy. He was banned from baseball by MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 after the league determined he’d bet on baseball.
After denying he’d wagered on baseball for years, Pete ultimately admitted to it in the mid-2000s.
Despite coming clean, MLB never lifted the lifetime ban, despite Rose — who was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame — being considered one of the best players ever.
Now, in death, it remains to be seen whether Pete will finally have his rightful place in Cooperstown.
R.I.P.