On Monday, baseball lost another great in former Phillie and Cincinnati Red player and manager Pete Rose, who was found dead in his home at the age of 83 in Clark County, Nevada.
Pete Rose wasn’t just a perfect fit for Philadelphia because of his ability back in 1979. Living in the city not far from Broad Street and the subway, Pete Rose wasn’t traded to the Phillies. He chose to join the club for a $3.24 million contract 45 years ago.
Any ball club would gladly have welcomed Rose’s talent — a 17 time All-Star, an MLB record holder with 4,256 hits, 14,053 at-bats, 15,890 plate appearances, and in 24 seasons as a pro. In 1973 he was a World Series MVP.
What Rose gave to the City of Philadelphia in the subsequent 1980 season was a gift that they desperately craved. No MLB team has been in existence continuously as long as the Phillies, but success had been hard to come by since 1883. The Whiz Kids had made it to the 1950 World Series before being swept by the Yankees. The 1915 Phillies had also been on the brink of celebration before they, too, had lost the fall classic to the Boston Red Socks. And the 1964 Phillies — well — we’d rather forget an epic collapse rivaling the 2023–2024 Philadelphia Eagles.
As player — Pete Rose wasn’t just always hustling — he was hard-nosed and fearless. He did whatever it took to win. In the 1970 All-Star Game, he didn’t run into Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse at home plate, seriously injuring him — he ran him over.
When it came to temperament, Rose was unapologetic. He committed the cardinal sin of baseball — betting on the game that he loved. Ever since 1919 — when eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the fall classic from that year in exchange for cash from gamblers — betting on games when you were part of Major League Baseball was strictly prohibited.
Perhaps his greatest downfall, Rose never apologized for betting on Major League Baseball— a significant factor that kept him out of the Hall of Fame of all of these years. In 1989, the MLB imposed a lifetime ban on Rose for gambling on Cincinnati Reds games between 1985 and 1987. In 1991 — he was ruled ineligible for consideration into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Whether it was his style of play, unapologetic disposition, or desire to be in Philadelphia — Pete Rose will also have place in Philly lore. He wasn’t just perfect for Major League Baseball — he was perfect for Philadelphia.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is member of the York Road Historical Society and lives and works in Abington Township.
