The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose: A Story of Persistence and Gambling
On the field, Pete Rose was a legend, racking up hit after hit. However, off the field, he faced a different kind of challenge – gambling debts that would ultimately lead to his downfall. Despite his achievements in baseball, including holding the all-time hits record, Rose’s involvement in gambling resulted in a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame.
A new book by veteran journalist Keith O’Brien, titled “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball,” revisits the dramatic narrative of Rose’s life. O’Brien reflects on the past 35 years since Rose’s ban from baseball, highlighting the forgotten reasons why people once cared about him.
The book’s resonance is felt in light of recent gambling scandals in the major leagues, such as the case of Ippei Mizuhara accused of stealing money to settle gambling debts. The evolving attitudes towards gambling in American culture, especially since the legalization of sports betting, are also explored.
One of the pivotal moments in Rose’s career was his collision with Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse during the 1970 All-Star Game, a move that solidified his reputation as a player who would do anything to win. The book delves into Rose’s three World Series championships and his role in some of baseball’s most significant moments.
Despite his on-field success, Rose’s personal life was tumultuous, marked by failed marriages and allegations of gambling addiction. The book sheds light on Rose’s unraveling as a man, juxtaposed with his success as a player.
Ultimately, Rose’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of gambling addiction and the consequences it can have on one’s life and legacy. The book challenges myths surrounding Rose’s ban from baseball and offers a nuanced perspective on the events that led to his downfall.
As fans continue to idolize Rose for his contributions to the sport, it’s essential to remember the complexities of his character and the lessons that can be learned from his journey. Despite his flaws, Rose remains one of the most iconic athletes of the 20th century, leaving behind a legacy that is both inspiring and cautionary.
The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose: A Story of Triumph and Tragedy
On the field, Pete Rose racked up hit after hit. Off the field, he racked up gambling debts. While persistence at the plate would reward him with baseball’s all-time hits record, his gambling resulted in a stiff punishment – a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, and eventually from the Hall of Fame. A new book revisits this dramatic narrative – Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by veteran journalist Keith O’Brien.
“I feel like in the last 35 years since Pete Rose has been banned from baseball, and made mistake after mistake off the field, we forgot why we ever cared about him in the first place,” O’Brien says. “The first thing I wanted to do was go back to that whole story, the whole arc.”
Taking its title from Rose’s nickname, the book has an added resonance in the wake of the latest gambling scandal to hit the major leagues: Ippei Mizuhara, the ex-interpreter for MLB standout Shohei Ohtani, is accused of stealing $16m from the star to settle Mizuhara’s gambling debts. Ohtani insists he did not gamble himself on sports and was not aware of paying any of Mizuhara’s debts incurred by gambling.
It remains illegal for Major League Baseball players to bet on their own sport or team. The latter would trigger the same lifetime ban issued to Rose by then-commissioner A Bartlett Giamatti in 1989. An investigation led by Marine Corps veteran and Department of Justice alumnus John Dowd indicated that Rose, as Reds player-manager, had bet on his own games. Rose denied it, but accepted punishment from Giamatti. The commissioner’s sudden death that fall further turned public opinion against Rose, according to the book.
The Legacy of Pete Rose
Today, attitudes toward gambling have changed over the six years since the Supreme Court opened the door to sports betting in the US, according to the author.
“There’s been a massive shift in cultural acceptance of gambling,” O’Brien says. “It is fundamentally changing how we connect to sports, how we talk about sports. I think it’s fundamentally changing American culture right now.”
If Rose was playing today, the author points out, he could have found legal ways to involve himself in gambling, such as taking on a sponsorship by FanDuel or DraftKings.
“If you think about well-known or notorious gamblers in American history,” O’Brien says, “Pete Rose is going to be in that conversation.”
The Triumphs and Tragedies
Raised in Cincinnati, the author got to have many conversations with Rose for the book, yielding 27 hours of interviews, before the calls eventually went unanswered.
“Interacting with Pete, you sort of see it all,” O’Brien says. “He’s crass, he’s brash, he’s arrogant, he’s entertaining, he’s a good storyteller … The one thing that is really palpable is that Pete has a charisma about him,” which “our most accomplished politicians have, that our most popular actors and rock stars have”.
“Whether you root for him today or not,” the author says, “objectively he was one of the most iconic athletes of the 20th century who often found himself squarely in the middle of some of baseball’s biggest moments.”
The book vividly details two such moments – Rose’s 12th-inning collision at home plate with Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse to win the 1970 All-Star Game in Cincinnati, and the first of his three World Series championships, in the epic seven-game tilt against the Boston Red Sox in 1975. Both moments were shown before tens of millions of viewers on national TV.
Of the collision with Fosse, O’Brien says, “I would argue, this is the moment when Pete Rose becomes Pete Rose … It gilds the mythology of Charlie Hustle. This was a guy who’d do anything to win, including sliding into a man at home plate in a meaningless game. It will also forever define Ray Fosse, who was never the same, never the same player.”
Five years later, Rose was part of the Big Red Machine that included fellow stars Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, George Foster and Ken Griffey Sr. That team squared off against the Red Sox in an instant-classic World Series. Although the series is widely remembered for its pulsating Game 6 – a Sox win in extra innings, punctuated by Carlton Fisk’s home run – there was a seventh game, and it went to Rose and the Reds. Rose took home series Most Valuable Player honors.
In Game 7, he proved that sometimes his contributions went beyond the box score. With Cincinnati trailing, he broke up a double play with a hard slide into second base. The next batter, Perez, hit a home run out of Fenway Park to cut the deficit to one.
The Reds repeated as champions with a sweep of the New York Yankees in 1976. Two years later, Rose compiled a 44-game hitting streak, best in the National League and second only to Joe DiMaggio’s 56 games in 1941. After leaving Cincinnati in the offseason via free agency, Rose won his third Fall Classic as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. Even before his departure for Philadelphia, his gambling had become a concern.
“By the mid-1970s, at least one player on his team is concerned about his relationships off the field,” O’Brien says. “By 1978, based on my reporting, Major League Baseball is concerned about his gambling. It seems to continue to get worse.”
In Rose’s first season as a Phillie, his marriage to his wife of 15 years, Karolyn, ended in divorce. The book claims that he had affairs during their marriage, including one in the early 1970s with a high school student who later said she was underage when it began. The book addresses claims of a baby born out of wedlock with another woman, Terry Rubio. A second marriage to Carol Woliung also ended in divorce.
“I chronicled all that in the book – not for salacious reasons, but because I do think it helps paint a picture of just how much Pete was unraveling as a man, at the same moment he was having his greatest success as a player,” says O’Brien, whose long list of interviewees includes both Karolyn Rose and Terry Rubio (now Terry Rubio Fernandez).
The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose: A Story of Triumph and Tragedy
On the field, Pete Rose racked up hit after hit. Off the field, he racked up gambling debts. While persistence at the plate would reward him with baseball’s all-time hits record, his gambling resulted in a stiff punishment – a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, and eventually from the Hall of Fame. A new book revisits this dramatic narrative – Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by veteran journalist Keith O’Brien.
“I feel like in the last 35 years since Pete Rose has been banned from baseball, and made mistake after mistake off the field, we forgot why we ever cared about him in the first place,” O’Brien says. “The first thing I wanted to do was go back to that whole story, the whole arc.”
The Impact of Gambling in Baseball
Taking its title from Rose’s nickname, the book has an added resonance in the wake of the latest gambling scandal to hit the major leagues. It remains illegal for Major League Baseball players to bet on their own sport or team, a rule that led to Rose’s banishment from the game.
Today, attitudes toward gambling have changed over the years, with the author noting, “There’s been a massive shift in cultural acceptance of gambling. It is fundamentally changing how we connect to sports, how we talk about sports. I think it’s fundamentally changing American culture right now.”
The Legacy of Pete Rose
If Rose was playing today, the author points out, he could have found legal ways to involve himself in gambling, such as taking on a sponsorship by FanDuel or DraftKings. Despite his controversies, Rose remains one of the most iconic athletes of the 20th century.
The book vividly details Rose’s career highlights, including his record-breaking hits, World Series victories, and personal struggles. It delves into the complexities of his character, showcasing his charisma and determination on the field, juxtaposed with his personal demons off the field.
The Tragic Downfall
Rose’s addiction to gambling ultimately led to his downfall, as he made destructive choices that tarnished his reputation and career. The book explores the unraveling of Rose as a man, highlighting his struggles with relationships, infidelity, and financial troubles.
A Cautionary Tale
The story of Pete Rose serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of addiction and the consequences of unethical behavior. It highlights the fine line between success and downfall, showcasing how one’s greatest strengths can also be their greatest weaknesses.
As O’Brien reflects on Rose’s legacy, he notes, “That belief he could do anything really helped him as a player. He was filled with confidence, always believing he would prevail. The same quality, the belief he could do anything, was in many ways his undoing off the field.”