By Stephen J. Nesbitt and C. Trent Rosecrans
Thirty-eight years ago, Pete Rose phoned a Triple-A shortstop named Barry Larkin — a Cincinnati native just like him — to call him up to the big leagues. Larkin headed home in a hurry, but his flight from Denver was rerouted once, then twice, then three times. The Reds rookie arrived at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati a half-hour before first pitch. Rose, a player-manager at that point, noticed Larkin had no bags.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Rose asked.
Larkin looked over at Rose’s shoe stash: “Whatever size those are.”
That’s why, in the first at-bat of his Hall of Fame career, Larkin wore Rose’s spikes and swung Rose’s bat as he drove in a run. The shoes were a little snug, but Larkin tried holding on to them.
“I was going to take them home after that,” Larkin recalled, “but he asked for them back.”
Larkin told that story at his Hall of Fame induction in 2012. Then-MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who had upheld the decision to ban Rose from baseball for life, was seated nearby. Larkin retold the story in a call late Monday night to bring back a smile after he heard the news that Rose had died at 83. They’d seen each other in Cooperstown in July, and again in Cleveland a couple of weeks later. Rose was in great spirits.
“I’m shocked,” Larkin said. “I don’t know what to say.”
He called Rose an “inspiration” and “a huge part of my baseball life.”
“He was the guy that gave me the first opportunity,” Larkin said. “He was my mentor, my coach, my manager. He was involved on the field, off the field.”
Similar tributes poured out from around the sport as former players, executives and officials remembered Major League Baseball’s hit king.
Major League Baseball extends its deepest condolences to Pete Rose’s family, his friends across the game, and the fans of his hometown of Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Montreal and beyond who admired his greatness, grit and determination on the field of play. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/GAP4NHBAOF
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2024
“Our hearts are deeply saddened by the news of Pete’s passing,” Reds owner Bob Castellini said in a statement. “He was one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and every team he played for was better because of him. Pete was a Red through and through. No one loved the game more than Pete and no one loved Pete more than Reds Country. We must never forget what he accomplished.
In addition to his record 4,256 hits, Rose was a 17-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion, two with Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” and another with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose won the 1973 NL MVP, three batting titles, two Gold Gloves, a Rookie of the Year award and a World Series MVP. His No. 14 was retired by the Reds in 2016, the same year Rose was inducted into the club’s hall of fame.
The Phillies said in a statement: “The Phillies are saddened to learn of Pete Rose’s passing. He will always be remembered for his grit and hustle, and for playing an integral role in bringing the team its first World Series championship.”
Nolan Ryan’s son Reid shared: “He could get my dad absolutely cracking up, telling stories and reliving the good old days. Pete’s battles with my father were ‘must-see TV.’ Nobody played harder than Pete.” Rose batted .273 in 84 career plate appearances against Nolan Ryan, though he had a .417 on-base percentage by walking nearly as many times (13) as he struck out (17). Rose recounted his side of that battle in the 2022 documentary “Facing Nolan.” My life is better for knowing Pete Rose,” Reid Ryan wrote.
Alex Rodriguez, who worked with Rose at Fox, wrote on X: Absolutely heartbroken to hear the devastating news about Pete Rose’s passing. 💔 He always brought a smile to my face. … He was true original and 1 of 1. Nobody loved baseball more than Pete and I’ll miss him terribly.”
“Pete Rose’s 24-year playing career left an indelible mark on baseball history,” the MLBPA said in a statement. “With his 4,256 career hits and 17 All-Star appearances at an unprecedented five positions, Rose was a crucial cog in the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s. A National League MVP and Rookie of the Year award added to his legacy. The Players Association offers our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and many fans, especially those in his beloved hometown of Cincinnati.”
The Baseball Hall of Fame, from which Rose was barred from inclusion for gambling on his team, also released a statement: “The Hall of Fame remembers Pete Rose, MLB’s all-time hits and games played leader, who passed away on Monday. ‘Charlie Hustle’ won three batting titles, earned 17 All-Star Game selections and won three World Series championships.”
Rose’s death has led many to speculate whether Rose will be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. A lifetime ban ends, one could argue, at death. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said he believes it should be the Hall of Fame’s call whether Rose should be included.
When reached by phone Monday night, former commissioner Fay Vincent, who was deputy commissioner when Bart Giamatti banned Rose, said he assumes Rose will one day be in the Hall of Fame. Gambling “is legal now, where it used to be illegal in this country, and I think that makes a big difference,” Vincent said. “Do I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame? I don’t think anybody who participates in corruption of the game as he did belongs in the Hall of Fame. I think there should be a moral dimension to honors.”
Wade Boggs, a Hall of Fame third baseman and fellow member of the 3,000-hit club, wrote on X that he grew up wanting to be Rose. Boggs referred to Rose as an “idol” and a “friend.”
“Words can’t describe how I feel right now,” Boggs wrote, adding, “You’ll be dearly missed my friend.”
Rose spent the last day of his life at an autograph signing event in Nashville, Tenn., with former Big Red Machine teammates Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr. and Tony Perez. David Glaskin, who ran the event, told Newsweek, “I will remember him as one of the greatest baseball players ever and one of the nicest guys I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. And I am so happy he got to see his teammates one last time.”
(Photo of Pete Rose before the Phillies game against the Washington Nationals in 2022: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
