All professional athletes, in the past and today, have one thing in common. They all have a loyal fanbase who want to keep up with them. It doesn’t matter what sport the athlete is playing, they always have fans.
When it comes to baseball, one of the game’s greats is Pete Rose who did his bid for the game. He was both a player and a coach for a number of years where he developed a loyal following. He’s also known by his nickname Charlie Hustle.
So, what more do you know about this baseball great other than his stellar career as a coach and a player? Well, to find out more about the player and what he managed to achieve during his career, you need to read on. You also get to find out more about bits of his personal life below.
Life History
Pete Rose was born Peter Edward Rose Sr. on the 14th of April 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His career in baseball started in Wester Hills High School, where he played baseball and football.
While in Wester Hills he flunked school and was held back because of his involvement in football. When he was supposed to go to summer school, his father opted for him to repeat a grade so as not to miss a summer of playing baseball. He, later on, started as a catcher for a Dayton Amateur League team.
Upon his graduation from high school, he signed his first professional deal with the Reds. This was due to the influence of his uncle (Buddy Bloebaum) who had pleaded his case to the team, even despite the team trading off a good number of their prospects that year.
Career in Baseball
Pete’s career in baseball officially kicked off in 1963 with the Reds where the star second baseman pulled a muscle. This then allowed Pete a chance in the team where he made his name known. During another game, in the spring training, he adopted the name Charlie Hustle which stuck with him all through his career.
Crucial dates in Charlie Hustle’s Career
- 1970 – All-Star Game
- 1973 – led the league with 230 hits
- 1975 – 1976 part of one of the greatest teams in MLB history. They were known as the Big Red Machine
- 1978 – made history as the 13th player in the MLB history to have 3000 hits in the league
- 1978 – the first player to have a hit in 44 consecutive games
- 1979 – made his move to Philadelphia Phillies. This made him the most paid athlete in a team sport. He was earning at least $3.2 million per year
- 1984 – joins the Montreal Expos
- 1984 – 86 made his return to the Reds. This time he was a player-manager
- 19-86 – he retired from playing in a move to make space for youngster Pat Pacillo.
- Pete’s retirement was more of an unofficial move as he was just dropped from the player roaster
Suspension as a Manager
Pete’s career as a manager took a wrong turn in 1988 when he was suspended from the game by the president for around 30 days. There was an accusation of inflammatory and irresponsible remarks.
In 1989 he was questioned by the commissioner of Baseball and the NL president for alleged betting. He later accepted to be placed on the permanently ineligible list. Then in 1992, he tried to be reinstated to the game all in vain as his application wasn’t acted upon by the then president of the NL.
In 2003, the president went on to acknowledge that he would reconsider Pete’s standing in the ineligible list. But yet again, nothing happened as he wasn’t reinstated to the game.
In 2016, despite being in the ineligible list, he was inducted to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He still is to date, the only ex-player to remain in the baseball ineligible list.
Conclusion
One of the greatest players to ever play baseball, Pete Rose, had his much glittery career end in ‘shame’. He, however, still managed to set a number of records that have let him remain in the hearts and minds of baseball lovers.
