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Pete Rose died aged 83: What we know

Pete Rose died aged 83: What we know

Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose was found dead at his home in Clark County, Nevada, on Monday, according to authorities there.

The Clark County coroner's office could not immediately be reached, and the county spokeswoman who confirmed Rose's death did not provide any further information, including the cause of death. ABC News reported that a family member found Rose and said the county coroner indicated there were no signs of foul play.

The ABC News report also states that Rose, 83, was not under medical care at the time of his death. Rose's home is under investigation and the cause of death is still being determined.

Although there was no indication that Rose was seriously ill at the time of his death, Rose said in court documents related to his 2018 divorce that he was “in poor health and disabled.” In the same divorce case, Rose's lawyers said he had difficulty walking, was taking blood thinners and had three heart procedures in five years.

“His health is deteriorating,” court documents state.

Despite these health problems, Rose maintained a busy schedule and continued to travel around the country, often to sports memorabilia shows. A Facebook post from Monday's Music City Sports Collectibles and Autograph Show in Tennessee featured a photo taken Sunday of Rose sitting in a wheelchair surrounded by several of his teammates from his days in Cincinnati with the Big Red Machine.

He died the next day. “Amazing that they all got to see each other one last time,” the post reads.

Earlier this year, in April, Rose canceled an appearance at former UC basketball coach Bob Huggins' annual fundraiser in West Virginia “for health reasons,” according to a post on the event's Facebook account. “We send Pete our warmest wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” the post reads.

The Cincinnati Reds also confirmed Rose's death in a statement late Monday. “We are deeply saddened by the news of Pete’s passing,” said Reds owner Bob Castellini. “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. Nobody loved the game more than Pete and nobody loved Pete more than Reds Country.”

Although the all-time hits leader began his record-setting career in Cincinnati and won two World Series titles here, he lived for years in Nevada, near Las Vegas, where he owned a now-closed bar and made frequent paid public appearances graduated signed baseball memorabilia.

Pete Rose HBO documentary

He was recently the subject of an HBO documentary about his life on and off the field, including his baseball ban for betting on the game. In an interview with The Enquirer in June, Rose reflected on that life, the consequences of his gambling and his own mortality.

“What, are they waiting for me to die?” Rose said of his chances of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “Wouldn’t it be terrible if I died next week and they reinstated me next year?”

Rose's legacy was also on his mind in his last post on the social media site in a Philadelphia newspaper article. “I couldn’t be prouder of my grandson,” Rose wrote. “Keep La Salle baseball moving forward. The #Rose legacy lives on.”

According to social media posts associated with Rose, he did not visit Cincinnati until August 14, when his agent posted a photo of Rose giving a thumbs up and his legendary slide head first.

“It was great to stand proudly with him next to his iconic upside down sliding statue in the Hit King’s hometown,” his agent wrote.

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Pete Rose talks gambling, Hall of Fame, 2024 Cincinnati Reds

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