Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hit king who was banned from the game, dies at 83

Pete Rose, Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader who was later banned from the game for betting on baseball, died Monday at the age of 83.

His death was officially announced by the Cincinnati Reds, though no cause has been disclosed. According to ESPN and ABC News, a family member found Rose and there were “no signs of foul play.”

Rose died on the same day that NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away from brain cancer at age 58.

Rose played in 24 major league seasons from 1963-86, primarily for the Reds but also spending time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. He had 4,256 hits during his career, surpassing Ty Cobb as the sport’s all-time hit king in 1985.

Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his tenacious style of play, Rose made six World Series appearances during his career, winning two titles with Cincinnati’s famed “Big Red Machine” in 1975-76 and a third with the Phillies in 1980.

The 19-time All-Star was a lifetime .303 hitter, earned National League MVP honors in 1973 and holds MLB records for games played (3,562) and at-bats (14,053) in addition to hits.

Despite his records and accomplishments, a gambling scandal resulted in Rose receiving a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 and thus being ineligible for Hall of Fame induction. Rose admitted in 2002 that he did in fact bet on baseball games while serving as manager of the Reds.