Pete Rose Bio And Facts

One of the most well-known and controversial names in baseball, it is undeniable that first baseman Pete Rose had an outstanding Major League career. Unfortunately, he is likely most well-known for a gambling scandal that resulted in a lifetime ban from the Hall of Fame, and his incredible statistics are somewhat tarnished now by the associations his name brings. Regardless, Pete Rose is a historic and important baseball name. Here, we cover Pete Rose’s basic biographical information, highlights of his career, and a peek into the personal life that made him so infamous.

Pete Rose

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1941, Pete Rose began playing sports early in his life. In high school, he played baseball and football, and despite his rather smaller stature compared to other athletes, he excelled in both. His professional baseball career began in Cincinnati in 1963, and he would go on to spend 17 out of 24 seasons there and later managed the Reds as well. Sometimes called “Charlie Hustle,” Rose was quick on the bases, managing 198 steals in his career. Rose’s most impressive statistic, though, is his 4,256 hits, which place him at the very top of the MLB hits record list.

• Birthdate: April 14, 1941 (14-4-1941)
• Education: Western Hills High School
• Net Worth: $3 million
• Occupation: Professional Baseball Player
• Height: 5’11” (1.803 m)
• Weight: 192 lbs (87 kg)
• Position: First Baseman
• Years Active: 24 years
• Career Hits: 4,256
• Career Steals: 198
• Nicknames: “Charlie Hustle”
• Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos

Social Media:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Business Website

Net Worth

Pete Rose’s current net worth sits at $3 million USD. After a short time in the United States Army, Rose signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1963. Throughout his 24-year career, he would also sign contracts with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos, amounting to a total of $7.1 million in salaries. Rose also became the highest-paid Major League baseball manager in 1986, when the Reds signed a $1 million dollar contract with the former athlete. The diminishment of Pete Rose’s wealth came in the form of multiple financial issues, including the infamous gambling scandals and troubles with the Internal Revenue Service.

Career

Named Rookie of the Year in 1963, Pete Rose’s career was just beginning. This first baseman played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos but is most remembered as a Cincinnati Red. Rose won the World Series with the Reds twice and the Phillies once and added an impressive amount of personal awards to those honors. Pete Rose won three National League Batting Titles, two Golden Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and MVP, to name just a few of these awards.

To this day, Rose holds the record of all-time career hits for all of Major League Baseball. Although Rose didn’t officially retire from playing baseball until 1986, in 1984, he began a six-year stint as the Cincinnati Reds manager, two of those years as a player-manager. His $1 million contract made him the highest-paid manager in the MLB at the time. These six managerial years would prove to outshine his success as an athlete for many when he placed bets on games his team was participating in, quickly earning him a lifetime ban from the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Titles and Awards

When Pete Rose entered the Major League Baseball scene in 1963 as a Cincinnati Red, he immediately began collecting awards, starting with Rookie of the Year. He collected two Golden Gloves at first base, a Silver Slugger, three World Series rings, and an MVP. Surprisingly, before allegations about Pete Rose’s personal life began to surface, he also won two of the most prestigious character awards given out by the MLB, the Lou Gehrig Award in 1969 and the Roberto Clemente in 1976.

Most notably, though, Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits are an MLB record that remains unshattered. Most of these hits were clutch singles, an MLB record Rose also holds, at 3,215 total singles. Detroit Tigers’ Ty Cobb ranks second on both these lists.

Personal Life

Pete Rose beginning to make a career for himself as a Cincinnati Red was no accident, as Rose grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and went to school at Western Hills High School. His father, Harry Rose, greatly encouraged his athletic career in his younger years, and despite poor grades keeping Pete from playing high school baseball, he managed to play anyway, for an amateur club in Dayton. After graduating high school, Rose played minor league baseball for three years before the Reds signed him in 1963.

Rose has been married twice and has four children between those two marriages. Rose began managing for the Reds in 1984 as a player-manager and served four more years after his retirement in 1986. It was then that Rose allegedly began gambling on MLB games. Rose denied these allegations that resulted in his ineligibility from the Cooperstown Hall of Fame for years. Eventually, he did confirm their accuracy; however, he maintains that all of the bets were for his team’s victory, never against. Additionally, in 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to tax evasion tied to the money he was earning signing autographs.

Fun Facts

• Despite holding the Major League Baseball record of most career hits, 4,256, Pete Rose is not a Cooperstown Hall of Famer.
• Pete Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds for 17 of his 24 years in the MLB. He also briefly played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.
• Pete Rose collected three World Series rings over his career, two in Cincinnati (1975 and 1976) and one in Philadelphia (1980).
• Rose was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” due to his speed on the bases.
• Rose won two Golden Gloves and a Silver Slugger.
• Pete Rose was a switch hitter, meaning he batted both left and right-handed.
• Other MLB records Pete Rose holds include most at-bats, most singles, and most outs.

FAQ