The baseball world continues to mourn the loss of MLB’s all-time leading man, Pete Rose.
Rose died on September 30. He was 83 years old. Rose’s historic accomplishments on the baseball diamond and his Hall of Fame aspirations were undermined by his decision to gamble on the game he loved.
On Tuesday, the Clark County, Nevada, coroner’s office revealed that Rose died of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Rose spent 19 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, playing alongside Tony Perez for 16 of those years.
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Former Cincinnati Reds player and Major League Baseball all-time leader Pete Rose shares a fist bump with former teammate Tony Perez during his induction into the Reds Hall of Fame on June 25, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Rose along with Perez, Ken Griffey Sr. and other members of the Cinncinati “Big Red Machine” attended the Music City Sports Collectibles and Autograph Show in Nashville, Tennessee on September 29.
DEATH OF PETE ROSE SENDS BASEBALL WORLD IN MOURNING: “ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN”
Perez detailed what ultimately became his last time with his friend and former teammate, saying some concerns arose because Rose didn’t seem like his normal self. “He didn’t feel very good, he didn’t look very good,” Perez told TMZ. “He wasn’t a talker. He didn’t say much.”
Pete Rose greets fans during the unveiling of a bronze statue dedicated to him at the Great American Ball Park on Saturday, June 17, 2017. (IMAGINE)
Baseball Hall of Famer and former Reds great Johnny Bench was not at the collector’s show, but he said some other retired players in attendance shared their concerns with him.
“The guys were very worried about him on Sunday because they said he just wasn’t the same old Pete. It’s sad. He really is,” Bench said Tuesday during his appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show”.
FILE – Former Philadelphia Phillies player Pete Rose tips his hat to fans during an alumni day, Aug. 7, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)
Perez said he also saw Rose six months ago at another card show. He said Rose’s condition appeared to be in much better shape at that time than this past weekend.
Perez, who is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, reflected on his time as Rose’s teammate.
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“You see him play and you have to play the way he plays,” Perez said. “When you didn’t throw the ball or run the base like you’re supposed to, you’re going to look bad, because Pete, he was a machine. He never stopped and went. You gotta play hard like he did.
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