Pete Rose, a baseball icon, died at his Las Vegas residence on Monday at the age of 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 trouble walking, was taking blood thinners, and had undergone three heart procedures within a span of five years.
The day before his death, Rose spent time with his former Cincinnati Reds’ teammates from the 1975 and 1976 World Series teams. A photo from the Music City Sports Collectables and Autograph Show’s Facebook page depicted Rose in a wheelchair, accompanied by former teammates Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Sr.
Rose, recognized as MLB’s hits king with 4,256 hits, was a 17-time MLB All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner. He also won three World Series titles. However, his illustrious career was tainted 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.”