CINCINNATI — The whole sports world is mourning the loss of legendary baseball player Pete Rose, who died Sept. 30 at the age of 83.

What You Need To Know

  • Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose died Monday, Sept. 30 at 83 

  • Rose was beloved in the greater Cincinnati area, having spent most of his career with the Reds

  • A longtime sports talk radio host said he's more than deserving of getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame 

  • Rose was a 17-time All-Star and is MLB's all-time hits leader with 4,256 

Rose was beloved in the greater Cincinnati area, having spent most of his record-breaking career with the Reds.

The man nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” was an icon among icons. Andy Furman, a national sports radio host with Fox Sports Radio who’s based out of the Cincinnati area, said hearing of Rose's passing was a blow to the entire region.

“When you hear about a guy like Pete Rose, you don’t think of death," Furman said. "You just think he’s invincible. He’s a guy that really and truly unified the greater Cincinnati area. People loved him."

“I’ve never seen Pete complain. I’ve never seen him sad. I love him to death; I consider losing him like losing a family member.”

When Furman came to Cincinnati in the 1980s, Rose’s legend had already been established. The two became friends at Latonia Race Track, now Turfway Park, where Furman was a publicist and Rose liked to bet on horses.

One night, as Furman recalled, the two men were heading down to the winner’s circle to make a presentation.

"I said, what's wrong? He says, the shoes ... I go, what are you talking about?" Furman recalled. "He's like, those shoes are bad."

"Next night, I go to the races. He comes with a box; he's like, this is for you. I say, what is it? It must have been like a ($500 or $600) pair of 'alligator shoes.'"

"I still have them; I’ve never worn them. They’re my 'Pete Rose shoes.'" 

Rose leaves behind a complicated legacy by betting on the game he loved and once embodied; however, Furman said he's more than deserving of a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

“It’s time to take a step back, take a breath and say look, it’s time; (Rose) belongs there,” he said. “Pete never took money to throw a game. He gambled; I get it. It’s OK."

"And now, Major League Baseball is in bed with gambling. You got to put him in; no one's going to break his records ... it's not a Hall of Fame without him in there.”

Rose was a 17-time All-Star, is a three-time World Series champion, won the NL MVP award in 1973, was named World Series MVP in 1975 and holds the major league record for hits (4,256), games played (3,562) and career plate appearances (15,890). 

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