Major League Baseball's all-time leader in base hits has passed away.
Pete Rose, who set many records in 23 seasons as a player before his career ended in a gambling scandal, died Monday in Las Vegas. He was 83.
ESPN reported that Rose was found dead at his home and that the Clark County, Nevada coroner did not suspect foul play.
Rose played for 23 seasons and three teams, mostly his hometown Cincinnati Reds. He signed his first professional contract with the Reds after graduating high school, making his major league debut on April 8, 1963. He became part of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" dynasty of the 1970s, during which the Reds won six National League West Division titles, four pennants, and two World Series, in 1975 and 1976.
Rose signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent in 1973 and played four seasons for them, winning another World Series in 1980. After a brief stint with the Montreal Expos, Rose returned to the Reds in 1984 as a player-manager. He retired as a player in 1986 to manage full-time.
Among his many accomplishments were the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year Award, the 1973 NL Most Valuable Player, the 1975 World Series MVP, three batting titles, two Gold Glove Awards, and 17 appearances on the All-Star roster.
He had a 44-game hitting streak in 1978 and broke Ty Cobb's hits record in 1985. Rose finished his career with 4,256 base hits. His number 14 was retired by the Reds in 2016.
Rose's post-playing life unraveled when reports surfaced about him betting on baseball. The ensuing investigation led to the release of the Dowd Report, which included charges that Rose bet on Reds games 52 times in 1987.
He voluntarily agreed to be placed on MLB's permanent ineligibility list on August 3, 1989. Consequently, the scandal kept him from being eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his many on-field accomplishments.
After years of denials, Rose acknowledged in a 2004 ABC-TV interview that he bet on baseball.
Rose was married and divorced twice. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.