Baseball Legend Pete Rose’s Cause of Death Revealed

Baseball icon Pete Rose, known for his remarkable career and controversial betting scandal, died at his Las Vegas residence on Monday. He was 83. The Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Tuesday that Rose’s death was due to natural causes, specifically hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Diabetes was also identified as a contributing factor to his demise.

Despite no previous reports of severe illness, court records from Rose’s 2018 divorce proceedings indicated that he was in poor health and disabled. His lawyer also disclosed that Rose had difficulty walking, was on blood thinners, and had undergone three heart procedures within a five-year period.

The day before his passing, Rose spent time with his former Cincinnati Reds’ teammates from the 1975 and 1976 World Series teams. A picture from the Music City Sports Collectables and Autograph Show’s Facebook page depicted Rose in a wheelchair, surrounded by former teammates Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Sr.

Rose, who was known as the MLB’s hits king with 4,256 hits, was a 17-time MLB All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. He also won three World Series titles. However, his illustrious career was overshadowed by a betting scandal that resulted in his ban from baseball in 1989, making him ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

For many years, Rose denied the betting allegations but finally confessed to them in 2004. He insisted, however, that he never bet against the Reds. Following his death, Major League Baseball expressed its deepest condolences to Rose’s family, friends, and fans, lauding his “greatness, grit, and determination on the field of play.”